A Course of Lectures on Elocution

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I

)

f

ClouRSE OF Lectures

ON

ELOCUTION.

^,

%X THOMAS SHERIDAN, A. M.

SECOND AMEklCAK EDITION.

TROY:
PILINTEO Bt OBAIJIAH PENNIMAN Isf CO.

Sold by them, at their Store, River-Street ; by C. R. t5* 0».

Webster, _and Whiting, Leavenworth b' Whiting,

Albartyi Thomas t5* Andrews, West b*GREENLEAr,

J. West, W. P. ts* K Blake, C. Bingham, and

Manning ^ Loring, BoftoH; P. Byrne,

PbUadtlfhiai and Thomas, Andrews

Uf Butler, BaU'yhrc

l€o3t •

/

IrUBLIC LIBRAuYj

r 1574Q5

A*^TOR, LCNOX AND

TILDLN F-KNDAltONS.

1819.

TO THE

WGHT HONOURABLE

EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND,

THE FOLLOWING

COURSE OF LECTURES,

2rf Us L01UMHI»'S

snoft obliged, moft devoted^

-_^
and mofb humble fervant, ^

THOMAS SHERIDAN.

F

W THE JPUBLIC:

THE tncouragment at this day gwen to liter a^.
ture, by the government, as nvelt as the diflinguijhed
chqra^ers of our country^ mujl afford fdtisfadf ion to eve^.
ry refieBing mind ; as evidences of its_ growth, under
fttch patronage, are prefenting themfelves on. every fide
to our view* Abroad, the literary charafter of our
^ country is rifing to dignity and eminence;, at home, the

greateft exertions are making to promote its progrefs ;
and, by the application^ and enterprife of individuals, *ws
may now, as a nation, be /aid to be approaching excellence
and perfe^ion. The means of education are daily be^.
coming more general i and the fpirit of induftry and econ^.
omy which prevails among cdl clajfes of men^ furmfbes
the bri^eft profpe&s of the future profperity and weU
fare of our country.

llncouraged by fuch profpe^s, and the much ejeemed:

advice of the Rev. Dr. MyfSCr, Prejident of Union

College, we have republifhed the following Tj^Omx^ on.

Elocution. It is the duty of ouTrpr^efffpn when prefent-^,

ing a ufeful book to the public y to prefent it neatly and

, correBly printed, and on good paper; how rigidly we

have complied with this duty tis -pointed out by our/elves,

^. the public mufi j^dge. Our endeavours, however, have

; ■* not been wanting, to render the execution of it worthy of

J pah'oHc^e. ^he^pu^Hti .v6ryj:umble fervatits,

\ OBADIAH PENNIMAN to* CPf .

I Troy, March ij 1803.

I
4

INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE..

i HERE has been no maxim more fre-
quently inculcated, or morc-generally^aflentcd to,,
than that human nature, ought to be the chief ftu-
dy of humankind ; and yet it ia of all fubje^ts,
about which the bufy mind of man has. been em-
ployed, that which has been leaft attended to ; or
with regard to which, the feweft difcoveries have
been made, foundcd.uppn any. certain knowledge*.

Is it not, amazing to refleft, that from the crea-
tion of. the world, there was no part of the human i
mind, clearly delineated, till within the laft fixty
years ? when Mr. Locke arofe, to give us a juft
view of on& part of our. internal frame, the under-
ftanding, upon principles of philolophy,, founded
on reafon and. experience.

The chief *cauft of the very erroneous, or inac-
curate views, given of that part of our nature, be-
fore his time, was, as he- himfeJf confefles, acci-
dentally difobvered by Mr. Locke, long after, he
had begun his work; and not till .after . he had
found himfelf entangled in many perplexities, dui:-
A 2 ing ..

f vi INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE;

f^ ing the piirfuit.of his fubjeft^ when lighting acci-.

' dentally upon this clue, he was happily guidecl.

through all the mazes of that labyrinth, in which.

ip many had frjiitlef^ly wandered^, or been iQft be-..

fpr^. ..,'..

His difcovery was, that as we cannot t^x^ink up-..
on any abftr^ft fubjeft, without the uf^' OjE. abftraft -
t-erms; ^d, as Ih general wefabftitute the t^rms,
tjiemfelves, 1q thinking, as well as fpeaking, in the
room of the copiplex ideas for which they {land ; ,
it is impoflible we can thi^ with precifion,'till we
firft examine whether we have precife ideas annex- .
c4 to fuch terms ; and it is equally impoflible to ,
communicate our thoughts to others with exadbiefe,
unlefs we are firft agreed in the exaft meaning, df ;
Qur words.

Accordingly, this acufee philosopher, -entered =;
into a fcrupulou^. examination of all the terms he
uied, for his own. purpofe, in private meditation 5
and afterwards gave clear definitions of thofe terms,
for tlie benefit of others, in communicating to theni.^
his thoughts. His labours were attended with fuc- .
e^fs. It muft be evident to all who examine his
works with. care, that he has treated his ftibjeft
with the utmoft precifion and perfpicuity ; and that-
aji whp arc properly qualified to read his eflay, will,
with due attention, agree in comprehending his.
meaning exactly in the fame way,

Bt?T in this a^e of Ipeculative philofpphy, they
who- turn their thoughts to writings of that fort,
Sttxsi to hav€ no other objeft in view than that of
n^ierely acquiring knowledge j without once confid-.

(

-^rltig -hoMT that>n(^Qdedge maybe renckred ufefiil
tip Society, ffcan /the maftcry of one fjpeculative
.^f:^inty they run to amother, with the fame kmd of a-> ~
v^dky, that mtfers-purfuetheaccimiuktioDof weal^;
^i^d jnueh to the &iue end: the one, rejoicing in
^s ihoiard of :<209Bce3led knowled^ ; the ^ther^ in .
la^s keapis ^hidden gold ; thougrh bodi arc equally
-^ufiikfs to thefi^^vjss, and to the world.

•Ev^Et^ Mr. JU>cfce hii^felf iibems to? -have been foc.
;tptally ahforbed in putfuks ci that ibrt, that he has ■
.not in aioy ps^ of hiis works pointed out t€KU6> how
his difeovpiiies might turn out-to.dbe^ benefit of man-
(J^ndj -by any.px^^cgl plan to .try tkeir.efl^^ : and :
laccordingly, littk W no advant^c. has hitherto re-.
ftilted froni them, excepting the f^sfadtion they
have given to men of a speculative turn* .

AFTER.having ihewn that rpoft enrc^ in thinking
,s^o£b from an abufe of words; and that moft conr .
troverfies and disputes, which have been carried oa .
•without cflani?Jtg to any conch:ifi^on> were <owing to .
the want of clesur and precife idej^ being affijced to
. the terms ufed by the difputants ; the ofily remedy
JMr. Locke ftiggeft^, is, tiat men ihould csffefiilly
examine the meaning of each word, and uie it fte»- .
dily ir^ one fenfe : and that upon any diff^ence of
opinion, the parties fhould define filch tenns as are
capable of ambiguity, or are of moft importance ill
the argument.

But he might have judged from the great difii?.
cjilty which he himfelf found iii acconjpliihing this
point, and frojn his own experience of the greait
jcarcand pains it. coftj^ to feparate ideas from words

toe

r

to which they were early ailbciated, and cemented
by long ufe; that this was a tafk not likely to be
-performed by many. One would imagine^ that, a
philofopher^ before he prefcribed a cure, would
have traced the difbrder to its fource- Nor had he
£ar to feek for. the fource of our impropriety itx the .
ufe of words, when he ihould reflet, that the ftudy
of oiu* own language, has never been made part of
the education of our youth. Confequently, the ufe
of words^is got wholly by chance, according to the
company that we keep, or the books that we read.
And if neither the companions with whom we co»-
verfe, nor the authors whom we confult, are exaft
in the ufe of their words, I cannot fee how it is to
be expeifted that we fhould arriw at any precifion.
in that refpeft.

If then irregularity and diforder, in this cafe, as ^
in all others, muft neceflarily follow from negleft,
and leaving things to chance ; regularity and order,
as in all o^her caies, can> proceed only from care
and method. The way to have clear and precife
ideas affixed to the ufe of words would be to have
mankind taught from their early days, by proper
matters, the precife meaning of all the words they
•nfe...

The rifing generation, To inftrufted, would be
.uniform in the ufe of words, and would be able to
communicate their ideas to each other, with eafe
and perfpicuity. N6r would their underftandings
be clouded in private meditation, by the mife of
©bfcurity; nor their fentiments when delivered. in
conyerfation, perplexed by the entanglements of

verbal

INTRODUCTORT DISCOURSE.

verbal difpi^tion. And this ixu^t eafily be efieA-
^d, if only a fourth part of that time were dedicat-.
ed to, the ftudy of our osam tongue, \diich is nofr
wafted in acquiring a finattering in tivo dead Ian-,
guages, withoiu: proving either of ofe or ornament.
to one in a hundred fo inftru^ed.

It is true, Mr. Locke, m his Eflky on Education,,
grievoufly complains oif our ni^gleA of ibidying our
mother tongue. But he lays the £iuit 4t the vrrong
door, when he imputes/this negle£^ to* the mafters
of grammar fchools, and tutors at the UBiverfities..
This is no part of their province. They neither
profefs to teach it, nor do they know how. No-,
thing effe£lual can be done, without making diat a
diftinft branch of education, and encouraging prc^-.
per mafters tO; follow it as their fble employment,
m the lame way as the f&vtnA mafters in the other-
branches do. And certainly whether we confider
the "diflfcuky of the -thing, or ■ thte |;restt ends which,
mig^t be aiifwered by it, Ae matfters in that branch,^
ought to. meet with, ^s great encouragement, as:
thoib in any othcr>

To the want af an mftitution of this ftrt is It
^owing, that Locke's noble -Eflky on ifce Kumati*
^UnderftanSing, ^has hitherto proved of ifo "Kttte
■benefit to the workl. It ^has indeed afibrded fuch.
a gratificatiicm to men of a fpeculitive turn, 'tts
mathematical ftudiei do to thofe, whofe enjoyment
i$ bounded by the mere contcmphtibh of truth.
But do men think, xjr Treafon more clearly, than
^they did before the publication of that book?
'H3^,e we a more ^recife ufe of language, or are.

tji^^

^.

X INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE-

the number of verbal difputes lefiened ? Let thofe
who have examined the many controverfial writ-
ings fince publifhed, fay, whether the chief caufe
of thefe endlefs difputes be not ftill the fame, " an
" abufe of words."

Upon the clofeft examination, indeed, it would
appear, that little or no benefit in point of prac-
tice, has refulted from a difplay in theory, of the
only part of the human mind, which has hitherto
been laid open with accuracy, upon principles of
true philofophy.

But ftill there are two other parts of the hu-
man mind, with regard to which the world is at
this day, as much in the dark, as they were with
relpeft to the whole, previous to the publication of
Mr. Locke's Effay : the one, the feat of the paf-
fions i for which we have no name as exifting in
the' mind, unphiloibphically referring it to the or-
gan :of foifation, the heart : the other, the feat cuF
die fancy ; which is called the imagination. .

Upon a right regulation of thefe parts of the
mind, and the Acuities belonging to them, all that
is noble and praiie worthy, all ^t is elegant and
delightful, in man, confidered as a. focial being,
chi^y depends. Yet fo far are we from having
.any juft view prefented to us of thofe important
^parts of our internal frame ; or any well founded
knowledge of the principles by which the faculties
belonging to them ought to be regulated; that
every day we fee fome new hypothefis advanced
upon that fubjeA, defigned to overturn all that

went.

5

INTRODUCrORT DISCOURSE. xi

"went before, and laying in the fame claim, which
all that preceded it had done, that of being the on-
Jy right one.

The variety of treatifes which have lately been
publifhed on the pa£ion$, and the number of eC-
fays on tafte ; in which the writers widely diSar
from each other in their principles, and are far
from agreeing in their definitions or defcriptions of
them ^ fufficiently fhew, how far we are fUU, from
having any certain knowledge of that part of our
nature to which thefe belong. And in this flate
muft the world forever continue, whilft the vanity
of ingenious men ihall prompt them to think, that
they can do that by writing, which is beyond the
power of writing to accompliih ; and whilft readers
ihall continue ^to iearch for that in books, which it
is beyond the power of books to teach. Nor are
the writers of £ich treatifes employed about a work
lefs abfurd, than would be that of endeavouring to
-commimicate new iimple ideas by definitions ; or
Xbsit of attempting to paint founds.

All writers feem to be under the influence of ene
^common delufion, that by the help of words alone^
they can communicate ail that pafies in their minds.
They forget that the paffions and the fancy have
a language of their own, utterly independent of
words, by which only their exertions can be mani«
fisfled and communicated. Now if this language be
wholly negle£led by us j if we have taken no care
to regulate its marks, or fettle the ufe of them with
any precifion ; it will follow that the difliculty will
at leaft be as great, to treat with accuracy of thofe

parts

r
^ imilOD0Cntt)R!r:DISCXK^^

.parts of the mind to vrhich that latxgnage belongs
afi it was of.the.undeifftaiidingt pbevious tothe pro^
per adjuftmcnt of words. But when added tothisj
it is confidered thaft this language is in a very poor
and defe6Hve ftate sanongft tis, and that out of the
numberleft emotions whereof the htiman mind is
capable,. there are but a few that have any peculiar
marks belonging ta them as their Symbols ; it will
be found that the difficulty of treating juftly of the
poffions and £5mcy, niilft be much greater, than of
the und^ftandi^g ; whofe language was fufficiently
copious^ and wsmted only regulation^ whereas in
the other cafe, we muft wait for the gradual increafe
of the language itfelf, till. its deficiencies are fup-
plied, before we can attempt *to regulate it proper*
ly, in order to have a comprehcnfive and juft view-
trf the powers of the mind. And indeed tilP that
be done, thofe nations that have no namcfs for num-
ber beyond three, might as well pretend to difplay
all the wonders of -afithmetici as we to delineate the
-immenfe field of mental emotions, wkhbut a fuffi:*
-cient number of -msftrfes to ftand as their iymbols.
But I will not, anticipate upon this head,, what the
reader will find fiiUy explained in tjti^ cdurfe of
thefe le£hu-es.

. It will be allowed by all perfons of refieftion>
that there is nD^ Ipeclilative point more ardently t6
be wifhed for, than to have it in our power to con-
template thofe parts of the h\wnan mind, which are
itili concealed from tis, or- falfely viewed thr-ough
the mifts of error, with the fame clear fat isfaj£l:ion
that we find in e^camining Mr. Ldcke-s view o£ the
imdcrfknding. But at the fame time if the means

wefe

INTRODtTCrORY DISCOURSE. xKi

were pointed out, of renderii^ both thefe views
prafticably ufeful, by (hewing how a general fpirit
ef good fenfe, and cleariiefs of reafon, might be
propagate jl through the natives of this country ; by
jhewing how the paifions himfbi or dangerous to
fociety may be fupprefled^ and thofe of the noblef
«nd focial kind, calculate to promote the general
goody may be brought forward^ invigorated, and
carried into due exertion; by fhcwing how the
powers of the imagination may be fo regulated as
to diflTufe a general good tafte through the nation ;
a p6int efibitially neceflary to promote ibme of
the hohleft ends that can be anfwered by the two
other powers, thofe I mean of a refined underftand*
ing, and deUcate fenfibility : it muft be allowed
that the exeeutioA of fuch a plan, would tend
more to the re^d benefit of this realm, than all the
uninfpired books that have been written from Ac
creation of the world to this hour.

But it will be fald, how, or from whom is this
to be expefted ? Are not thefe the very points about
which the liiOft eminent 6f our writers have em-
ployed their labours, hitherto to little purpofe ?
Have not tifciefe been the chief objedb in the works
of our moft celebrated divines, moralifts, metaphy-
fi'clans, critics, writers of effays, &c. and have we
any reafon to believe that this age will produce
writings in thofe feVeral Ways fuperior to what have
hitherto appeared ? Sach are the queHions likely
to be alked by tliofe, whofe minds have been nar-
rowed by an early falfe bias given to us in our {yC-
tern of education, and afterwards continued through
life ; I mean that extravagant idea entertained of
B the

xiv INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE.

the power of writing, far beyond what in its natiire
it can ever attain. But fuppofe it be aflerted, that
this is the very caufe of the failure, in the attempts
made by fo many men of diftinguiflied abilities ta
reform mankind. Suppofe it be afferted, that they
have all ufed an inffrument, which in its very con-
ftrudiion, was incapable of accomplifhing the work
they were about. In fhort, that fome of our great-
eft men have been trying to do that with the pen,
which can only be performed by the tongue j to
produce effefts by the dead letter, which can never
be produced but by the living ^oice, with its ac-
companiments. This is no longer a mere aflertion;
it is no longer problematical. It has been demon-
ftrated to the entire fatisfaftion of fome of the
wifeft heads in thefe realms : and readers of but
moderate difcemment, will find it fully proved in
the fixth and ieyenth le£hiresj on Tones and Gef-
ture.

But that the bulk of my readers may not enter
upon the difcuffion of this point, with all their
prejudices about them, they are defired to refleft,
that language is the great inftrument, by which all
the faculties of the mind are brought forward,
moulded, pollfhed, and exerted ; and that we have
in ufe two kinds of language, the fpoken and the
written. The one, the gift of God 5 the other, the
invention of man. Which of thefe two is moft
likely to be adapted to its end, that of giving^ the
human mind its proper fliape,^ and enabling it to
jdifplay all its faculties in perfeflion ?

If they want to judge by effefts produced in our
^►wn times, how far the one lan^age has the ad-
vantage

mTRODUCrORT DISCOURSE. xv

▼antagc over the other, let them only refleft on a
recent inftance of a late minifter, who by the mere
force of cultivating the language bcftowed by the
Deity on humankind, is far as he coxAd c^rry it by
his own pains, raifed himfelf to the fole direftion
^f affairs in this country : and not only fo, but the
powers of his living voice fhook diftant thrones^
and made the extremities of the earth to tremble.
When it is well known that had the fame fenti-
■ments been delivered in the language of men ; had
they been fent out into the world in a pamphlet ;
they would probably have produced lefs efi:e<Sls up^
4)n the minds of a few readers, than thofe of fome
hireling writers. And we have many flagrant in-
ftances in our methodift preachers, of the power
which words acquire, even the words of fools and
madmen, when forcibly uttered by the living voice;
And' if the langoage of nature be poffefled of fucli
power, in its prefent negle<Sted and xmcultivated
ftate, how inunenfe muft be its force, were it car-
ried to the fame degree of perfedlion, that it was
amongft the ancient Greeks and Romans ?

Had the Greeks or Romans been bleft with the
Bght of revelation j had they been poflefled of fuch
a religion, and fuch a conftitution as ours, together
with fome difcoveries which time has produced ;
they would have carried all the powers belonging,
to human nature to the utmoft degree of perfec-
tion 5 and the ftate of fociety amongfl: them would-
have approached as nearly to that blifsful flate, to*
which we iare taught to look forwards, a fellowlhip
with angels, as the boundaries of the two worlds
would permit. And would not this neceflarily be

our

xvi INrrRODUCTORY DKeOURSE.

our cafe, were we pofiefled of thofe articles, m
which the Greeks and Romans confeiledly excels
led us ? We want only their arts added to o^r fci^
ences. Their arts are eilentiaHy neceffary to ren-
der the nobleft difcoveries in nK>dern philofophy,
prafticably uiefiil to fociety. Their arts a»e eflen*
tially nece£ary to di&fe thofe benefits through all
ranks of people, which fiich a religion, and fuch a
conffitution as ours, are in their own nature capa-
ble of beftowing. In fhort, their arts are efiential-
ly necefl&ry to our making a right ufe of all thoft
ble£ings, which- Providence has fliowered down
with a more liber;^l hand on. this country, thaa on
any other in the world.. Now they had no arts
whatfoever, in which they excelled us, that did^not
take their rife, either immediately, or confcquen-
tially, from the pains beftowed upon the culture of
the language of nature, the living fpeech. What
k there wanting then amphg^ u^, bu| tp s^ply ourK
felves with induftry to the Ikme ii^if^ans, in order to
attain the fame ends ?

I KNOW there are ftw capable ol^' tracing a fpecit-!.
lation of this fort, through aU i|;s fteps, fo as to per-
ceive the juftneft of the deduftion. But I %m now
little felicitous about what judgment fhall. be paft
upon the theory, iinee the time is approaching of
trying it experimentally. ^ few fenfible eflfe<fts
produced from j^-adlice, will carry more cpnviftiou
to the bulk of ^lankind, than a thoufand fpecula-
tive arguments. It is with true f^tisfaiStion erf"
heart I hail the approaching da^r, when all that I
have advanced upon this fubjeft will be put to that
teft. Whoever attended the courfe of le^ures dur^.
ing their delivery, will be convinced th?t things^

arc now ripe for execution, and that due encour--
agement will not be wanting to him who fhall cf-
tabliih a fuccefsfiil method of teaching the art of
Delivery in this country. The conftant attendance
of the fubfcribers during the courfe ; the profound
attention with which the ledures were heard 5 the
general fatisfadfon exprefled by all who were prcf-
ent at their delivery ; and the many perfonal ap-
plications to the author, from thofe who looked
upon themfelvcs as concerned in the event, either
cm their own or their children's account^ to begin
as foon as poffible upon fome practical plan, in or-
der to anfwer the ends propofed ; fufficiently con-
firm the truth of this ajQTertion. But when the
world is told, that the number of fubfcribers to*
this, and a former courfe of the fame nature, was
not lefs than feventeen hundred, and that thefe
were all volunteers, as there was not the leaft foli-
citation ufcd on the part of the author to promote
the fubfcription ; it will probably be attowed, that.
fuch a general^ free encouragement, has hardly
been given to, any fingle propofal invthis age.

Before I quit this fubjeft, I fhould be guilty of
great ingratitude, if I did not acknowledge my ob-»^-
ligationj to a nobleman j who, when he wa^acd--
dentally made acquainted with the nature of myr
undertaking, and had read fome of my writings
,upon this fubje^^ did not wait to be folicitcd, but .
fought out the author, honoured me with his coun*--
tenance, and by more than words encouraged me
to* proceed in my defign. It will be hardly neceflary
to acquaint the reader, that, thid nobleman's title
is to be found prefixed to this work,.

juiT 10, 176a. IJECTURE.:

LECTURE I..

^■TpHAT a general inability to read, or fpeafi:,
JL with propriety and grace in public, runs
through the natives o£ the Britifll dominions, i^
acknowledged •, it {hew& itfelf in our fenates and
churches, on. the bench and at the bar.

That Divine ftrvice in general is not performed
with that folemnityj diftin£hie($, and propFiety,
which the nature of fuch fe]::vice demands ; not
difcourfes dcUvered. from the pulpit, with fuch
powers of perfiiafive, or forcible elocution, as alone
can. make them produce their intended effeAs, is
alfo generally allowed.

In ihort, that good puMic reading, or fpeaking,
is one of the xareft qualities to be found, in a
country, where reading and fpeaking in public, are
more generally ufed, than in any other in the worM;
where the doing them well is a matter of the ut*%
moft importance to the ftate, and to (ociety ; and
where promotion or honour, to individuals, is fure

to

m LECTURE I.

to attend even, a moderate fhare of. merit in . thofe
pointSj is a tnith which cannot be denied.

When therefore we rcfleft, that fuch powerful
motivesi as aifenfc of duty, of honour and of in-
tereft, have not iince the revival of letters (as far
as we can judge) produced any improvements in
thofe articles } we fliould be apt at firft view to-
imagine, that the inhabitants of thefe countries are-
bom under fome natural incapacity, of arriving at
any degree of excellence, in the great article of de-
livery : and that our Creator, when he fumifhed
us liberally with all the intelleftual powers, did not
in fuitable proportions fupply the means of difplay-
ing thofe .powers to our fellow- creatures.

But as we have never been without a few in-
ftances of men, who by fome lucky circumftancc
in their early culture, and. by taking proper, pains
tbemfelves to improve their talents for elocution,
have raifed great. admiration in their. hearers,,. of
their abilities in public fpeaking, we have fo many
pjroofs at leaft, that we are under no national curfe
of that fort'. And as we. have, daily demonflration
in private life, that n^oft . people fpeak juftly, and
forcibly in company, upon topics wherein they are
nearly interefted, we may conclude with certainty,
that there are no natural impediments in their way,
U> do the fame, in public alfo..

If

juiciuKi: I. 3;

If any fiaranger in China^ obftrving the uncom^
mon ihiallne& of £eet in all the women;. or, in
iome favage countries, the uncouth fhape of the
head in whole nations of barbarians, {bme formed
nito a conical figure, like that of a &gar-loaf,
others flattened at the tc^ and rendered fquare ;
fibould not be acquainted with the cau&s of theie
extraordinary appearances, he would bs apt to con-^
dude that thef were defe£b and Uemiihes of na-*
ture^ But when he ihouid be told, that the feet
ei the former were Ikhu34 in the tighfieft manner
with bandagies from childhood, on purpose to pre^ '
vent their growth) and the (k\j3i$ of the latter,
frona the hour of the inhnt's hzrth, whilft yet they
^Ijjipfe ttijdofed, and yieWcd to impreffion, were in-
4uftxiou£^ mpulde4 ix^Q. ihofc fc^nns, ftxmv » mii^
taken idea of beauty; howwould hewcMKleratthe
foUy cf n^tion^) that covdd perfere^c 19 fudi aUurd.
^udom^ I

Yet. m^uch mote to be wondered at> v^ould the
^ondu£t. oi a civilised people b(S, who ihouid per*^
fcyore in. a cuftoiR far more fatal ; that of binding^
i}p aiul contx^a^^ng from. eai:ly chiIcl^ood> and
i;|[>oi4ldin^ into^ unnatural form^, thi: facilities of
Speech, which are amon^ the mofi noble, ufefiil,
^jod ornamental ^at are poficfled by man *, by
>QC^h he is ia d: moire efjpecial manner diftinguiihr .

xjJLiV^x v^xvi:* J.*

cd from brutes ; and without the pcrfeft ufe of
whichi^ he caimot, in many cafes, as he ought, dif^
charge his duty to his neighbour^ his country, or
his God.

If it can be proved that "we are under the do-
minion of fuch a cuflom, the caufe of the general
defeat complained of, will be apparent : and it muft
be obvious that whilft the influence of that cuftom
continues, it muft produce the fame effeAs,'and no
amendment is to be expefled.

That a general deficiency in point of public read-
ing and Ipeaking, prevails in thefe countries, is al-
lowed. This deficiency muft arife either from nat-
ural or artificial caufes. That there are no natural
knpedimeiits in our way, has been proved ; confer
quently they muft be artificial. What thofe arti--
&:ial impediments are, which prevent our making
a progrefs towards perfeAion in thofe eflential ar*
tides, is the point now to be enquired into.

There cannot be a better clue to guide us to the
fource af the^ malady complained of^ than a due
attention: ta: an obfervation; before* made : <«That
" there are few perfons, who, in private company,
« do not deliver their fentiments with propriety
« and force in their manner, whenever they fpeak
« in carneft." Confequently here is a fure ftand*-
9xd fixed for propriety and force in public fpeak-

LECTURE L y 'S

ing; which IS, only to make ufe of the fame. man-
ner in the one, as in the other. And this, men
certainly would do, if left to themfelves j and if
early pains were not taken, to fubftitnte an arti-
ficial method, in the room of that which is nat-
ural.

Of this there could not he a ftronger proof giv-
en, than if upon trial it were found, that after a
perfon had delivered his extemporaneous thoughts ^^
upon a. point in which he was intcrefted, with due
force of emphafis, properly varied tones, juft ca-
dences and paufes, accompanied with fuitable gei^
ture, and expreffive looks, the fame individual
words which he had uttered were written down,'
and given to him to read ; if ia that cafe, I fay, it
&ould be found that he would change his whole
manner ; To that neidier emphafes, tones, or ca-
dences fhould be the fame ; but in their room, he
fhould fubftitate fuch as he was taught to read
with 5 and that all gefture and 6!xpreffion of coun-
tenance fhould vaniih. And if this fhould be the
cafe when a man reads his own fentiments, (as in-
deed in general none read worfc than authors) how
much lefs likely is he.to do juftice to the fentiments
©f others ?

Here then is to be found the true fource of the
jdad manner of reading and (peaking in public, that

/ C LECTURE L

t

' fo generally prevails ; which is, that wc arc tau^

to read in a different way, with difierent tones and
tradences, from thofe which we ufe in fpeaking ;
and this artificial manner, is ufed inftctd of the
natural one, in all redtals and repetitions at fchooV
as well as in reading.

When therefore wc confidcr that the fineft arrit-
£cial tones in the world, and the moft mufical ca»
clences can never ftand in the place. Or anfwer the
ends, of fuch as are natural, or appear fo by being
y\ always ufed in difcourfe ; as may be fecn by cont-

paring the Italian recitative in operas, with a well
«£ked fcene in one of our plays $ what are we to
■expert from fuch artificial tones, as are difcordso^tt
, inftead of being harmonious ? or of fach a method
«)f ipeaklng introduced, as ihall mal::e ufe only of it
few of thole bad tones and Ca^den^es to express ail
manner of things ; inilead of an endlcfe variety,
furnifhed by nature or cuftooi^ to manifeft and
communicate, not oaly all the ideas which pafs in
the mind, but alfo ail its operations, affe^ions, and
paflions ? Is it. to be wondered at that fiich an un-
natural manner of delivery, fliotdd either produce
but little efieft in the hearers, c«* excite difguft ?

When wc refieft that the end of public fpeaking
is perfuafion, (for the view of every one who har-
angues in public is to bring his hearers into his

way

( (
I

LECTURE \. 7

^i^y 6^ thinking) ihd that in ordar to perfuade
others to the belief of any point, it muft firft ap»
pear, that the perfen who attempts it is firmly per-
fuaded of the truth of it hiinfelf ; how can we (iip-
^fe it poffible that he fliould dk& this, nnlefs he
delivers himfelf in the manner which is always ufed
by perfons who fpeak in eameft ? How fliall his
words pafs for the words of truth, when they bear
^ot its ftamp ?

Till therefore a way Ihall be found out to coun-
terafl; for the prefent, and deftroy hwesAer, the bad
cuftom which has given rife to this unnatural man^
ner of reading and ilpeaking, we fhall in vain hope,
for the many excellent effefts, which might be pro-
duced by good elocution, in a country, wheire there
is fuch an abfolute neccffity for it, to the fupport
of our cbnftitutionj both in church, and ftate.

I fhall therefore confider, in the firft place, how
the power of this cuftom may be counteracted, fpr
the immediate relief of fuch as are labouring under
the effects of its bad influences and afterwards
ihew hdw it may be wholly fiibverted ; fo that the
rifing, and future generations may no longer be
tainted by it. ■ As the firft of thefe is the point in
which my hearers are more immediately concern-
ed, I fhall chiefly in the prefent courfe dwell upon
that.

C In

« LECTURE I.

In order to counteraft and get the better of any.
bad habit, it is neceflary in the firft place, that the
perfon who is under its influence, fhould be confcious
that he is fo •, in the fecond, that he fhould know
how, and by what means this bad habit grew upon
him, that he may know how to avoid thofe means,
and unlearn what was faulty ; which is the firft
neceflary flep towards. improvement.

Sincerum eft ntfi vas quodcunque infutidis acefclt.

And laftly, that he fhould be made acquainted with
the method of attaining ivhat is right, in order that
a good habit may fucceed to a bad ^ne. For as
habit only can get the better of habit, and a man
when he has parted with one manner, mufl necel^
farily acquire another ; unlefs he knows what is
right, he may only change one bad manner for
another, or perhaps for one which is worfe.

To accomplifh thcfe points, I fhail firft lay open
the fources of our errors and faiults in the art of
reading ; partly arifing from the unfkilfiilnefs of
mafters, and partly from defeats and imperfections
in the very art of writing itfelfl

And then, I fhall fhewhow, and hy what means,
it may be in the power of every one to acquire a
right manner, by proper pains and practice.

Before I can make thefe points clear, it will be
necefliry to recolleft, that we have in ufe two dif-
ferent

Jui:<v^ ± Kj jxi:< M.*

ferent kinds of language, which have no fort of af-
finity between them, but what cuftom has eftabli fil-
ed i and which are communicated through differ-
ent organs : the one through the eye, by means of
written charafters ; the other, through the ear, by
means of articulate founds and tones. But thefc
two kinds of language are fb early in life aflbciated,
that it is difficult ever after to feparate them ; or
not to fuppofe that there is fome kind of natural:
conneftion between them^ And yet it is a matter
of importance to us, always to bear in mind, that
there is no fort of affinity between them, but what
arifes from an habitual affociaftion of ideas.
Though we cannot fo eafily feparate them in oup
own minds, yet when we come to confider them-
ih relation to otliers, we fee clearly enough their
utter independance of each other ; as is obvious in
the cafe of men bom blind, or deaf; the former
of whom may be perfeft mafters of the language
which is fpoken, and the latter of that which is
written ; though neither of them can form an idea
of the other's language, or of the manner, by which
a: communication of thoughts may be made through
the fenfe which they '^nt. And indeed any com-
munication of that fort, between the deaf and the
blind, is impoffible.

All men who are wholly illiterate, are in the
lame circumftances with regard to language, as they

who

who are born blind. And as they have no concept,
tion of words, independent of founds, fo cannot
they comprehend how it b poflSile for them to be
made vifiblc to the eye ; and therefore reading, in
its infancy, was looked upon as a fupematural gift ;
and the few who were matters of tjiat art, confide
cred by the vulgar in the light of magicians. On
the other hand, they who are bom deaf, when,
taught to read, have no other ideas, of words, but.
what arife from their vifible marks ; and can as lit-,
tie conceive, how it is poffible that they fhould be
made obvious to an)r other fenfe, but that of fee-
ing.

Hence it comes to pafs, that the man wholly il-
literate, who has no other ideas of language, but
what he haso^Jtained through his csur, always ufcs
a variety of tones in fpeaking, fuch as are cuftom^
ary in his country } according to the fenfe of the
words, or the emotions of his mind. On^the cOn*
trary, the deaf man, when taught to fpeak, (as ma-^.
ny have been) always delivers his words in one uni-.
form tone, without the leaft variation. In an in-
termediate ftate between thefe, the reading men,
in proportion to the attention which they give to.
the one kind of language or the other, either ap-
proach nearer to the monotony of the deaf man, or
the variety of the illitei:ate. On this account it is,
that the moft bookiflx men are generally remark-..

LECTURE I. n

able for the worft delivery : as reading therefore
by means of the prefs, is become ahnoft univerfal
amongft us ; and as the chief errors and defe£h of
our delivery, arife from a faulty manner of reading ;
there cannot be a matter of more importance, than
to explain fully how this fauhy manner muft ne^
ceflarily prevail, not only from the unfkilfulnefs of
matters, but alfo from the imperfeft ftate of the
art of writing itfclf, until a proper remedy be
found.

For this end, let us confider the purpofes which
may be anfwered by reading. They are chiefly
three ; the acquifition of knowledge ; the aflifting
the memory to treafure up this knowledge 5 or the
communicating it to others. The furft two may be
done by filent reading; the laft requires reading
aloud. Let us now examine how far the art of
writing (under which head I include printing) is,
in its prefcnt ftate, fitted to anfwer the feveral pur-
pofes, and'how far and in what refpefts it is defi-
cient.

With regard to the firft point, th^t of conveying
khowledge, it is plain enough that the written lan-
guage is in a fufiicient ftate of perfc(5lion, as any
one who is once mafter of it can read an author
who writes clearly, fo as fully to comprehend his
meaning with almoft the fame celerity that his eye
tan take in- the words. And the fame muft alfb
c 2 b«^

12 LECTURE i:

be allowed with regard to the fccond ufe of written^
language, that of affifting the memory. To an-
fwer thefe two neceflary ends there has been fuffi*
cient care taken in the ftnidure of written lan-^
guage ; but as the third, that of reading aloud to
others, was by no means a neoefiary objed: ; on the
contrary, as every purpofe to which that is applied,
might be much better aniwered, by giving due at-
tention to the fccond ufe of writing, that of im-
printing words on the memory, fb as that they
might be delivered withoi;^ any ufe of notes, there
has been no manner of regard paid to it in the
whole art of writing ; which does not contain one
fingle viiible mark, that can give us any afBftanc^
in the moft important articles of a good delivery^
as I fhall prefently fhew.

The Greeks and Romans made ufe of this art
only to anfwer the two firft piu^ofes ; that of filent.
reading, and that of affifting the memory 5 for wc
never hear of its being ufed amongft them, in pub*
lie reading, as all their ftudied orations, poems, &c.
were recited from memory 5 confequently, they
had no occafion to carry the art of writing farther
than was ncceflary to anlwer thofe ends. When
therefore we, who have taken the model of our
written language from them, would apply it to a
third ufe, for which it never was intended, and to
which it is not by any means adapted in its nature,

fliall

LECTURE r. ly

iball we be furprifed if it fails to anfwer that end^
and wondec that reading aloud fhould in general
be fo ill performed ?

To prove that our written language is by no
means calculated to anfwer this third purpofe, of
reading aloud, it will be only neceflary to ihew^
that it contains no vifible marks,, of articles, which
are the moft in^x>rtant of all others, to a juft de«
livery. A juft delrrery coniifts in a diftinft articu*
lation. of words, pronounced in proper tones,- fuit*
ably varied to the fenfe, and the emotions of the
mind ; with due obfervation of accent *, of empha*
fis> in its feveral gradations ;. of reib or paufts of
the voice, in proper places and well meafured de-^
grees of time ; and the whole accompanied with
exprei&ve looks, and fignificant gefture. Now of
all thefe ingredients, not one of which can be fpar«
ed from a good delivery, there are but two, that
are at all regarded in the art of writing ; and thoie
are, articulate founds or words, which are marked
by letters ; and ftops, or paules of the voice, which
are marked by little figures and tittles. And even
in thefe points, much greater regard, has been paid
to the two firil ufes of vrrittenlanguage than to the
laft; to the filent reader, than to him who is to
read aloud to others ; as may be ieen by examin-
ing, in the firft inftance, in what manner words
are fpelt \ in which the derivation and meaning of

the

the words is often more confidered, than any d&
re^on of the proper, founds refuking from the ar-r
rangement of the letters. In this refped indeed^
we are fo exceedingly. loofe and irregular, that even
where iio end can be anfwered by it, the words in
general, as prefented to the eye, would be fo far
from producing the true founds^ that if they were
pronounced exaftly as they arc written,^ we fhould
not know them to be of our language. And as to
the fecond article, that of points or flops, I fhall
jM'efently fhew that they are by no means fitted to
the natural refts and paufes of difcourfe^ and, as
they are managed, have proved the chief caufe of
fome of our greateft imperfedHons in reading. But
with refpeft to the other articles of tones, accent,
emphaies, and gefture, there are no viiible marks
to ferve as guides in thcfe. And as . theife latter,-
muft be allowed to be the fources, of. every thing
which is pleafurablei, or forcible in delivery; and
to contain • in them, all the powers of ftrongly im-
prefiirig the mind, captivating the fancy, rouzing
the paffibns, and delighting the ear ; it muft alfo
bfe allowed, that th& moft eflential articles to a good
delivery, have been wholly left out of the graphic
art;

It may be faid, that there is no occafion to have
any marks for thefe, as the view of the words on
paper, will excite in the mind the ideas for which

they

±jll.\^ 1 VJ JVX< !•

*hey ftand ; and of courfe, all the acccflary circum-
ftances of delivery, which are ufually aiTociated with
thofe ideas in the mind : and that as foon as we
perceive by the help of the eye> the fiill meaning,
and import of any fentence, we ihall be able to ex-
prefs that meaning to others, in the fame manner,
and with the fame propriety and force, as if it pro-
<?eeded from the immediate fentiments of our owtv
minds. It were to be wifhed indeed that this af-
fcrtion could be made good, for in that cafe, there
would be few bad readers in the worid ; but the
abundance of thofe, which are every where to be^
Ibund, fufficiently i^tes this c^inion« And in— '
deed by examining the proccfi of fuch, as are moft
expert in the art of reading, we fhall be fully con-
vinced that the opinion is erroneous : every one q£
whom. win. allow, that he cannot deliver any piccc^
q{ written ^ompoiition, fb well at fight, or on the
^rA reading^ a^ on the fecoiul^ nor on the fecond^
as on the third y and fo he continues improving in
Ilis manner, every time, as the words grow more-
ficmiliar to him. Nay he will allow that he cannot
approach nearly to the manner of delivering them,
with the &m^ propriety and force, as he would his
own fentiments, till they as it were become bis
Qwn, by being fo perfeftly imprefled on the memo*,
ly, that the mind may be wholly at liberty to at-
tend, only to the delivery ; without being called off

to.

to another office from any difficulty of recoUef tion;
The lefs the mind is diftrafted by attention to dif-
ferent operations, the more it can colleft all its vig-
our to diiplay any one. We may every day fee:
that the perlbn who attempts ta repeat things-
which he has not perfeftly by heart, has his facul-
ties fo abjbrbed in the aft of recolleftion, that he
cannot attend to the manner of his reciting, which
becomes proportionally defeftive. And in extem-
poraneous fpeaking, they who have a fluency of
expreffion, and' an eafy command of words, have
proportional advantages in point of delivery, over,
thofe who are obliged to hefitate, ftop, and fufpend'
their difcourfe, whilft the mind is, as it were, fent
out' of the way, upon another office, that of fcarch-
ing for proper words and phrafes^ which ought to*
have been ready at a call.

Were it req^ifite to enter into a philofophicaf
examination of the nature of reading, it would ap-
pear, that . there are fo many and fuch various afts
of the mind necefllry to perform that office, as
would Efficiently Ihew tis, that it is iinpoflible fuch
a portion of attention can^^ be given to the manner
of delivery^ as it ought to have,-to anfwer its end,
if we confider it as the fubftitute of extemporane-
ous fpeaking. For in that cafe, as it is neceflary
that it fhould be performed in the fame fpace of '
time as the other, how is it poffible this can be-

done,,

LECTURE I. ry

done, when there are fo many more a^ons of the
mind requifite to the one than to the other ? And
though we fhould allow, that through ikill and
habit a reader, by the quick motion of his eye,
may comprehend the fiiU meaning and import of
the words, and even have juft ideas excited of the
manner in which they ought, to be delivered, in the
fame fpace of time only that would be. taken up in
fpeaking thofe words, yet it by no means follows
that his execution ikould anfwer his conceptions,
or that the exa£b tones, and other accompaniments
of difcourfe, fhould be ready at his will. For
though they Ipontaneoufly ftart forth, when we
fpeak our own conceptions, being the immediate
reflxlt of feeling ; yet, as we are not fo eaiily inter-
efted in the fentiments of others, and as feeling
muft in a great mealure be blunted or deftroyed,
by the attention whaich the mind is obliged to give
to fo many different points, in the aft of reading ;
fo, muft we fappofe, that the beft reading, muft
fall fliort of the power of Ipeaking, in all articles
which depend upon feeling. And of this a well
known proof has already been given, in the in-
ftance of any good reader, who in proportion as his
attention is taken off from the words, by making
them familiar to him, or fixing them in his memo-
ry ; and his feeling increafed, by adopting the fen-
itiments, is able to deliver them in a manner ap-
proaching

1 8 tECTURE 1

proaching nearer to that which he woiulcl ufc ii
they were his own.

Of this we have fufiicient examples in comedi*-
ans ; whofe profeffion it is to fpeak from memory,
the fentiments of others ; and yet to deliver them,
as if they were the refult of their own immediate
feeling. But it is not at the firft, fecond, third, of
even twentieth reading of their parts, that they arc
able to hit upon the exaft manner, in which the
words are to be delivered : they muft firft have
them perfeftly fixed in their memories ; and even
then, it is only by repeated trials, and conftant
praftice in rehearfals, that they are able to aflbciatc
to them, the juft tones, looks, and geftures, that
ought naturally to accompany them. Indeed tho-c
is nothing could pnt the difficulty of reading pro-
perty, in a ftronger light to any m^, than his at-
tempting to read aloud a fcene of a comedy ; in
which, though there ate no tones to be ufed, but
what are known to him, and which he acknow-^
ledges as fuch, when ufed by others, yet can he by
no means command them at his pleafure ; and he
muft be obliged to own, that to conceive, and to
execute, are two different things : the firft may
arife from ftudy and obfervation, the laft muft be
the effeft of practice.

That the great difficulty of reading with pro^
priety, and in fuitably varied tones and cadences,

arifes

LECttTRE I. 10

-sfe-iTes from the want ojF fufficient figns and marks, ^
'm the art of writing, to point them OBt j and were
there but a fuflSicient number of thofc marks, rcad^
ing juftly at £ight, might be rendered almdft as
eafy and as certain, as finging at fight, is a matter
^hich might unqueftionably be proved, were it to
be attended by any advaittage* But as that would
be merely a fpcculative point, inafmuch as there is
little likelihood that any change will be made in
-the art of writing, it will be more immediately to
the pnrpdfe, to enqtiire how the art of reading may
be improvedy whilft thsit «f writing continues in its
.prefent ^tQ.

Hitherto I have confidered the difficulty of read-
ing well, aloud, as arifing from its own nature only,
'land the imperfeS ftatc ctf the written language
amongft us, which does not feem by anyineans cal-
culated to anfwer that end. I have fliewn how
hal-d, nay impra^icable h is, to arrive at due peK
feiStion in that point, even on a fuppofition that
the readers have , all proper -.qnalificat ions -for the
talk, and fiiould not be \indcr the influence of any
falfe rules, or bad habits* But as that is not the
cafe of one reader in ten thoufand, I fliall now lay
open the mcwre general fource of that impropriety
ttnd badnefs of reading which is fo prevalent.

Befide the ignorance of mailers who teach the

£rft rudiments of reading, and the want of ikill^

© Of.

;jo ' LECTURE I.

or negligence in that article, of thofe who teack
the Jearned languages j beiide the erroneous man-
ner, which the untutored pupils fall into, through
the want of early attention in jnafters to correal
fmall faults in the beginning, which increafe and
gain ftrength with years 5 befide bad habits coiit-
.traftedjrom. imitation of particular perfons, or the
contagion of e^anDiple from a general prevalence of
a cei:taii;i tone ox chant -in reading or reciting, pe-
culiar to each fchool, and ^regularly tranfmitted
•from one generaticm of boys to another; befide all
thefe, which are fruitful fources of ^vicious elocu-
tion, there is one fundamental error, in the meth-
od univerfally ufed in teaching to read, which at
firft gives a wrong bias, and leads us ever after
blindfold from the right path^ under the guidance
of a falfe rule.

It was before obferved, that we liave no vifible
jmarks in writing, but forewords, and paufes or refts
of the voice. With regard to word$, it was {hewn
that tlicy are more calculated, from the manner m
which they are fpelt, for the ufe of the filent readi-
er, than for the afliftance of him that reads aloud.
But though, on account o£ the manney of fpelling
avords, the difficulty of learning XQ rmi them at
Qght is increafed, and for that .re?ibn, more time
and pains are required, than would otherwife be
Aieceflary 5 yet, by time and pains, we find that the

point

LECTURE I; 21

poiht is generally accomj^flied ; and we come by
habiti to acknowledge ^ords, whofe founds we are
pre-acquainted witbi at fight, and to give them
their juft pronunciation; however ill adapted, the
order of the letters which compofe fuch words,
may feem, to jM-oduce fuch folinds. Thiy branch
of reading, has been brought to perfection, from*
neceffity ; for were words to be pronounced as they
stre Ipefr, aikt not according to the manner ufed in
difcourfe, they could not be known or underftood ;
and all paflages fo read muft appear to be nothing
btft jargon. But with regard^ to the other article
of written language, I' mean' the vifible marks of
the paufes and refts of the voice, the mafters have
not only been more negligent in perfecting pupil?
in the right ufe of thcfe, but in their method of
teaching, have laid down fomc felfc rules, under
Ac influence of which, it is impoffible that amy one
can read naturally. In the firft place it is not
known, (though it be certainly trtie)^at the marks
fbr paufes and'ftops in writings are not more accu-
rate, with regard to pointing out fuch as are ufed
in difcourfe, than the words are, by the fpelling, ta
point out their found ; confequently it ought to be
the care of a mafter, in the one cafe, as well as tjie:
other, to fhew wherein the difference confifls 5 and
to fupply by oral infbrrftion, and habit, any de-
ficiency or error which may be in the r.rt of vmit^

i^ig>

22 UECTURE I.

ing, with rcfpeft to pointkig^ a^ well as with rc-^
gard to Ipelling. Indeed the ufe of pointing, as
was before obiervsed wi^h regard to fpelling, is much
more calculated to aflift the filcnt reader, in readi-.
ly comprehending the meaning of fehtcnces, than^
in observing the due prc^rtions of time, in read-s
ing aloud. Btjt befide that the art of pointing, has
not been managed in fuch a way, as to make it.an^
fwer, what ought to be its chief end, it has an office
afBgned it quite f<w:eign to its nature, and whicji it^
is in no ihape fitted to difcharge ; for whereas its
muft be apparent that the art of pointing in its
prefent ftate, ought, to have reference to notjii^g^
but cither the grammatical confiru£li<Hi of fenten-*
ces, or the different proportions of paufes in point
of time ; through want of others, the mailers have
made ufe of the flops as marks of tones alfo. How
little fitted they are to anlwer this , end, we may
judge, by confidering that the tones preceding pauf-'
es and refts in difcourfe, are exceedingly numcr*-
ous, and various, according to the fenfe of the
words, the emotions of the mind, or the exertions^
of fancy; each of which woijdd require a diflinft
mark, and cannot be reprefented by fo finall a num-^
ber as four or five, which are ufed as flops. The
mafters therefore, have taken a ihort cut, to give,
what they call proper tones to their pupih in read-
ing, by annexing artificial toaies to .the flops, which

no.

■: 1

LECTURE i: 23

no way correfpond to thofe which arc ufed in dif-
coiirfe ; and which may juftly be called the reading
tones, in oppofition to thofe of the fpeaking kind:
Of thefe tones in general there arc but two ufed j
one which marks^ that the fcnfe is not completed )
another, which fhews that the f^toteiice is dofcd.
For they have not even invented fo many tones, as
there are viiible marks of paufes. The comma, femi-
colon, and - colon, are pronounced in the fame
tone ; and (MilydiflFer in poinf ;of time^ as two or
three to one ; whilft the full ftop is marked by a
different tone* As the one cqnfifts in a uniform
elevation, and the other in a uniform depreffion of
the voice, we need no longer be at a lofs, to ac-
count &r that difagreeable monotony, which fo gen-
erally prevails? in reading 5 and which neceflarily
defeats every pnrpofe pf book delivery, as the atten-
tion of all auditors xoXii^ not only foon be wearied
and deftroyed by it, but in fuch as have any tafte,
it muft occafion the higheft difguft. -

Here then is the chief fource laid open of that
unnatural manner t)f rendiag which fo univerfally
prevails ; znd imkfs a-perfbn knows this, he can
never amende his error J for the light of the ftops,
as natur^ly excites the tones which he was early
taught to aflbeijat^ with them, as the fight of the
words excites thrir pronunciation J and thus the
habit of reading, will only fiarve to confirm him^ m
D 2- the

24 LECTURE I.

the faulty manner whicfahe has acquired* In thi^
cafe, we may apply to reading, what Montefquieu
has obferved of the laws ; where he fays, ^ There
« are two . forts of corruption, one, when men da ^
« not obferve the law% the other, when they^ ans ^
«* corrupted by the laws : an incurable evil,bccaufe^
« it is in the very remedy itfelf.**

And indeed as in that caie, the evil muf): be in-*'^
curable, whtlft the influence of the laws remains $
fo in the other, till the falfe ruks are abrogated,
and jiift ones eftabU£bed in their room, thane can
be no- hopes of amendment. It muft ^ obvious .
to the flighteft enquiryi that the moft effeftual
method of introducing ^ general good manner ,c^
reading, would be the giving due encouragement, ,
to a fefficicnt niamber of fliilfol mafter% to teach >
that art, by a well digested fyft€?m ^ef rules, accord-
ing to the praiHce of the :ancieni3 ; inftead of leavr
ing it to old women, or the Iqwcft and moft igno-* -
rantrof mankind in the firft rudiments, or to fuch
as do not confider it as: part of their provincej and
who indeed in general know not hoW' to teach it 5
which is the cafe in moft gramniar fchools : the
confequence of which has been,, that moft boys, are
cither perverted by falfe rules, or having no rules
to guide them, take up any manner which chancy
throws in thfeir way, or imperceptibly yield, to the
influence of bad example-

But

EECTTTRE L t;-

^ But as » Ithemc of Afe kind,' vrovid be of bene- .

fit only to the rifing generation, and as my prefentr

objeft is, the improvement of fiich as are more ad-^.

vancqd in life, I fliall iii the progrcfs'of this courle, .

endeavour to point out a method, by which jhe

adult may get the better of bad habits, and at the

fame time lay down fuch rules to guide them, in.*

acquiring a juft and natural delivery, as will enable .

than to compafs their end, provided they take fuit^-

aWe pains 4 and afterwards proceed in order, to .

,{^pnunci9tiQ»3 accent, enaphafis, paufcsf or ftop^, .

pitch and management of the voice, tones and geC^:.

tvre } which will comprehend the whole of w^^t J :.

totw to oi&r OT.th^ fwbjc^,.

LECTURE

^ I

LECTURE II..

JDEFORE I examine the feveral parts
of elocution^ it will be neceflSry to define the
meaning of the term.

Elocution is the juft and graceful management
of the voice, countenance/ and gefhire, in^^ fpeafe-
i»g.

Under this head, I fhall confider every thing
neceffary to a good delivery. I fhall treat of the.
voice and gefture feparatcly, and include what re- -
fpefts the countenance in the latter article. And :
firft of the voice, fo f ar as the organs of fpeech are -
concerned.

A good delivery, in this fehfe o£ the word, de- •
pends upon a due attention to the following arti- -
cles :

Articulation; Pronunciation; Accent; Empha-
fis ; Tones or Notes of the fpeaking voice ; Paufes
or Stops ; Key cxr Pitch, and Management of the
voice.

Of

EECTURE U. 27-

©f each of thcfe m their ordo*. And firft of

7
ARTICULATION.- ' S

A good articulation, con£fts, in giving every
letter in a fyllable, its. due proportion of found, ac-
cording ta the moft approved cuftom..of pronounc-
ing it } and in making fuch a diftinftion between
the fyllables, of which words are compofed, that
the ear fliall without difficulty acknowledge their
Qumbjr ; and perceive at once, to which fyllable
each l<^er belongs. Where -thefe points are not-
obferved, the articujatipn* is proportionally defec-,

A good articulation is to the jear, in fpeaking,
what a fair and regular hand is to the eye, in writ-
ing } and exaAnefs in founding the words rightly^
correfpo^ to propriety i|i.ipelling> in both €afes>
the^underftanding can comprehend what is offered
to it, with eafe and quicknefs, and without being
oMiged ta^have rccourf^ to painful attention. Fair- ,
nefs and exa^efs of hand is not tho^ht a neceA.
f^ c|ualiiication of a gentleman ; and is expe^fled
c^y from writing mafters and clerks. Nor is it a
difgrace to him, even to , write (Itch a hand, as is ,
fcarcely legible. The more irregular the hand is,
the more time and pains indeed it will coft the,
reader, to make out the words; but then he may
4p,tl^ at his leifure, as tl^xc marks are permanent,

%S LECTURE IT.

With regarcf to articulation, in which the marks^
of the words vanifh as they are fpoken, this is not
the cafe; and therefore it fhould be fo diftin^,'
that the hearer, may with eafe, go along with the
fpeaker, at the fame pace. For if he fhould flop,
to fet any thing right, that is amifs in the fpeaker,
whilft his attention is employed on that point, he*
lofes irrecoverably, all that is faid during that time;
It is.tlierefore in itfelf, a matter much more eflen-
tially neceflary, that' a fpeaker, fhould have a? clear
and diflinft articulation, than that a writer fhould
Be mailer of a good hand*

But it is a difgrace to a gentleman, to be guilty
of falfe fpelling, either by omitting, changing, or
adUing letters contrary to cuflom v and yet it IhalT
be no difgrace to omit letters, or even fyllablc8'i»
i^eaking, and to huddle his words fo together, a9
to render them utterly unintelligible. Yet furdy,
cxaftnefs in the latter, is a point of much more im*
portance than in the former articfe, in -whatever
light wc view it. Th« writing of a gentleman is
ftibmitted but to^ne reader ata time ; who may"
examine it at his leifiire, fupply any defe6ts of or-
thography, and decypher the meaning, though the
charafters be ever fo irregular. But the words of
one who fpeaks in puMic, whether -delivered, or
read ifrom notes, may be, at one and the fame time,
addrefled to many hundred hearers ; wha mufl*lof6

♦ the:

I^ECTURE fit ©51

ihe benefit or purpofed end of the diicoiirTe, m
proportion as.it is indiftinftly pronounced.

The reafon of the unequal judgment paft l^
jnankind in this cafe is, that written language is
iaught by rule, and it. is thought a fhame for any
x>ne, to tranfgrefs the known rules of an art, in
which he has been inftrtt<Eted. But fpdcen lan-
^age is not regularly taught, but is left to chance,
imitation, and early habit ; and therefore like aH
jother things left to chance, or unfettled principles,
4s liable to innumerable irregularities and defeats.
And in this cafe, mankind reciprocally claim, and
jillow indulgence to each other. That this is the
4xnc reafon, will be evident from this coniideration^
that amdhgft the Greeks and Romans, where fpeak-
ing was regularly taught, the fmalleft error com-
mitted in pronouncing, v^as equally difgraceful in
jBen, as faMe fpelling is with us.

Hence it comes to pafs that faults in articulation,
•early eontrafted, are fujffered to gain ftrength by
habit, and to grow ib inveterate by time, as to be
incurable 5 partly through want of attention to the
point in early years ; and partly through want of
ikilful perfons to remedy the exil after it has been
liifFered to take root.

Parents do not think k neceflary, to affift their
infants, in their firft attempts to articulate words ;
oj: to make them proceed regularly, in the forma-
tion

50 lECTtrRS IL

^lon of fuch founds only, as are moft eafy, and re»-
quire leaft exertion of the organs ; but by fuffering
them to try to pronounce any words whatfbever, or
even often urging them to Tpeak fuch as are too
difficult, they give a Wrbng biafs to their weak ten-
der organs, which it wotdd require much pains td
fet right. Hence often ariies ftuitering, lifping,
and a total inability to pronounce certain letters*
The child being urged to utter a found, which he
tfinds either difficult, or impoffibtej of courfe hefi*
'tates, or fubftitutes another letter of more eafy
pronunciation in the toOm ; or wholly omits it, and
•only pronounces the remaining letters of the word;
and this he afterwards does habitiially^ never ufing
v^ny endeavours of his own, t© alter a pronunciation
'which he finds eafy to himfelf. The parent, hf
being accuftoiiied to it, underftaads periTeftly tht
child's meaning, in this faulty manner of pronounc-
ing 5 and too often, f^ from endeav6uring to cop-
^re£t it, encourages him to proceed in it, by talking
to him in his own childiih way ; for which he ac*
Hjuires a fort of fondnefs, accounting the blemifh t
•prettinefs.

The firft mafter, (bt rather miftrefs, as thil^
^charge is generally confignfed to old w6men) into
whofe hands he is put to learn to read, is utterly l
ignorant of all rules, with regard to the ait of t
fpeakin^jOrpronunGiation. Thefe miferable drudges

|>roiFefs

LECTURE n. 31

^irofds imlj to teach the written alphabet, and
to fyeU and put fyllabies together properly as they
are ufually written. But if a boy brings any im-
pediment with him ; if he fhitters, Hfpsi or is de-
leave in the pronusiciati^a of «iy letter, they nei-
ther profefs nor know how, to cure any of thefe ;
to conceal their ignorance, they call them natural
impediments, or defefts in the organs of ipeech,
and the child is pennitted to go on in his own way,
:as incurable.
. When he is.fent to the Latin fchool, the office
of the niafter there, is not to teach him to articu-
late, in which point he 6xpe<Sb that he ihould come
ready prepared to him. He thinks his duty diC-
charged, if he makes him underftand Latin and
Greek well, and write correft exerciies. The art
of delivery is not part of his province ; in which it
is highly probable, that he is not only utterly un-
billed, but very defective himfelf.

Thus a vicbus articulatk>n, caught perhaps from
a nurfe, or i&vouritc fervant, oiten infefts a man's
difcotirfe through Hfc

Hie examples of Kfping and ftammaring, are
frequent 5 and the iaabdlity to pronounce certain
letters much more fo. Smaller defe^ in articula-
tion, are fo general, that they pafs unnoticed.

I dare boldly affirm, that of the multitude of in-

fiances which offer, of a vitiated ^aticulatjon, there

E is

32 LECTURE H.

k not one in a thou&nd, ^hich proceeds from any
natural defeA or impediment. Of this point I had
many proofs in the fchool where I received mj
UtA rudiments of learning ; and where the mafter
made pronunciation a chief object of his attention^
in which I never knew a fin^e inftance of his fail-
ing to cure fuch boys as came to him with any
defeats of that kind ; though there were numbers^
who lifped or ftuttered to a great degree, on their
dSrft entrance into the fchool ; or who were utterly
unable to pronounce fomc letters, and others very
indiftinftly.

When Demofthenes firft fpoke in public, it was
objected to him that he coidd not even pronounce
the firft letter of his art, rhetoric -i and to this day
people are told that this was a natural defedl in his
<»'gans : but had that been the cafe, it would have
been impoffible that he ihould have ever got the
better of it j which we are told he did, by inde-
fatigable^ pai^s, even a long time after he had ar*
rived at. the age of manhood. So that it was clear-
ly owing to early bad habit, and to the want of
due paiiis, in correfiing it in time. ^ And indeed
we are alfo told, that through the avarice of his
guardians, this cuftomary, and, as it was then
thought, neccflary branch of education had been
^omitted.

The

ixfiCitJKu. m 33

'Ehe letter R is very indiftinaiy pronounced by
inanyv nay in feveral of the northern counties of
England) there are fcarce any of the inhabitants
who can pronounce it at all. Yet it would be
ftrange to fuppofe, that all thofe people fhould be
io unfortunately diftinguifhed) from the reft of the
natives of this iOand, as to be bom with any pecu-
liar de£e£t in their organs ; when, the matter is fa
plainly to be accounted for, upon the principle of
imitation^ and habit;

^ L have dwelt the. longer on^this^head^ becaufe
moft defefts^ and imperfeftions, in the other arti-
cles of delivery,. proceed from the fame fource, and
are curable only by the fame means. As alfo be-
caufe good articulation is the foundation of a good
delivery, in the fame manner as the founding the
iGmple notes in mufic with cxaftnefe, is the foun-
dation of good fingingw

The grofier faults of articulation, iuch as flatter-
ing, heiitation, lifping, and inability to pronounce
certain letters, can never be cured by precept alone j.
thefe require the conflant aid of a perfon, fkilled
in the caufes of thofe &ults ; who by teaching each
indivichial how to ufe the organs of fpeech rightly,
and by fhewing him the proper pofition of the
tongue, lips, &c. may gradually bring him to a juft.
articulation. I fhall confine myfelf to the more
general faults •, which though, lefs obfcrvcd, on ac--

count

34 LECTURE II..

count of their freqoency,^ and their not being la
obvious as the others, do neverthelefs fo ^oil and
corrupt delivery, as to make it difagrecaible to the
car, and irkfome to the underftanding.

The firft, and moft effential point in articulation,
is diftinftnefs; and therefore its oppofite is th#
greateft fault. Indiftin£faiei£ to a certain degree,,
renders the Ipeaker unintelligible; or demands a
more than ordinary attention, which is always psun-
ful to the hearer. The chief fource of indiftin£b-
ncfs, is too great precipitancy oSfipeech, And this
takes its rife in England, chiefly from a bad meth-
od of teaching boys to read. As the principal ob-
jeft of the mafterj. is to make boys perfeftly ac-
quainted with written words, fo as to acknowledge
them at fight, and give them a ready utterance 5
the boy, who at firfl is flow in knowing the words^
is flow in uttering them ; but as he advances in
knowledge, he mends his pace; and not being
taught the true beauty, and propriety of reading,-
he thinks all excellence lies in the quiijknefs antf
rapidity, with which he is able to do it. The prize
to boys, who have made any proficiency in read*,
ing, feems to be deftined to the fwift j they fet out
at a gallop, and continue their fpeed to the end;,
without regarding how many letters or fyllables
they drop by the wzj 5 or how many words thejr
jufUje. i;ntp one another* This habit of reading, »s

ofteo,

dteii'tramferred into their difcourfe ^ and is but
too frequently confirmed at the Latin fchools,
wiicrc the matters, in general, having no points in
▼lew, but to make their fcholars^ repeat their leg-
ions by heart, or conftrue-them in fuch a way, a»
to fhcw that, they underftand them, care not how
haftily thefe exercifes are done ; or rather indeed^
arc obliged^ to nrge them to a fpeedy manner of
doing them, otherwife^ it would be impoffible, to get?
Arough the -number of boys they have to teach,
lliis bad habh afterwards gathers ttrength, becaufe
^ boys arc neither xonfcious of their owndefefts^
oor receive any^ intimation of- them from others.
Nor 'do th«y inddenly find- any disadvantages^ arif^
ing fr'om fuch imperfeft utterance*: For their maf-
tcrs, companions, .and relations, by-being ufed to
their manner, underftand them perfeAly; - in the
fdmc way* as the prattle of children is underftood
by tkeir parents-and nurfes ^ or as a very bad hand
is read by thofe who are accuftomed to it. Such
bfexniihes ^nd* defeats, are obvious only to ftrangers,
and^they in good manners will not mention them.
Thus the evil remains irremediable through life.

It muft be evident that the putting any coi>
(kaint on the organs of fpeech, or urging them to
a^more rapid aftion than they can eafily perform iii
their tender ftate, mutt be produ^ive of indiftin^l-
nc& in utterance^ for in that; cafe, the children
E 2 niufb

36 LECTURE IL

muft cither drop fbme letters, or girc them. &mter
.founds than they fhould have. And as fomc let*
ters are in their own nature more difficult of pro-
nunciation, than others, and ftili more fo in thekr
different combinaticms, when they form fyDaUcsj.
it is in dko£e chiefly the imperfe£don wiM: fbew
itfelf.

To this hafty ddivery, which drops fome letters^
and pronoimces others too faintly; which runs iyl<^
lables into each other, and clufters words together;^
is owing that thick, mumWiag, cluttering utter*-
ance, o£ which we have too wemj examjrfesu The
greateft orator of antiqvuty, we are infosned, had
this foult, in a remarkable degree, even when he
ventured firft to* fpeak in puUic ; cm which ac-
count his fpeech waa exploded by the wh^e afljbnis*
bly. But we are alfo told the caufe of this 5 wluch
is, that he had the misfortune, fingul^ in thofc
days, of not having been trained in thp art of
ipeaking.

In all accounts of Demofthenel, we are inform?-
ed, that, to cure fome impediments in his fpeech,,
he ufed to excrcife himfelf in declaiming with pdv
ble-ftones in his mouth. What thofe knpediments
were, or how fo uncommon a method ihould con-!*
tribute to their removal, is left to conjefhwe ; nor
can I find that there has been any attempt made,
to explain this point. Bnt th^ •iculty will im-
mediately

1

meSalcij be folvedy if we fuppdb, that the iow
perfection which he waited to remedy, was» an in-
dlflmA artkuknion; that owed its origin to a too*
gres^ precipitatic]r of utterance : for the pebbles
fiones in that cafe, properly p^ced in the mouthy
wonid uDpede the nfiial velocity, in the n^iion of
the tcmgiie^ and bring it in tiine to a dvue degree of
flbwnefi ; bcfides,. they wouki be a conftant mem-
orandnm^ to hxaaSBit ta aroid any rapidity of ut-
ta-ance, ^wdiich othcrwife, from cufiom, without
fisne memento of that kind, he woutdibe apt to>
£ill i»fcD4

The example of tlm prince oT orators aff(»rds the
kig^ft encouragement to all men who labour un-
der imperfe<^ns of fpeech> to endeavour their
cure; as by diligence, and uiing proper means,
they have reafim to expe£l iuccefs^. For perhaps
there was not smy one of his age wba laboured un*-
der io many defeCb in that way, even after he had
advanced feveral years in manhood ; and yet he
not only got the better ^of all thofe,, but arrived at
fuch a pitch of exa^efs, deli<:acy, and powa* of do»
livery, as loon threw all competitors at a diflance ;
though decution had arrived sO: fuch perfeftion in
* his days, that it might julMy be called tie age of
orators. And all this, as we are informed, was
chiefly accompliihed by his own labour and aifidi*^
ity. Thi% of all others, is the^moft encQ^raging

circumftance

cifcumftance In thefe times, when a man can Bave
little affiftancc from others, and muft chiefly relf
upon himfelf, and hi» own* endeavours, to apply^
clofely to the cure of any ifi habits of delivery, and.
aot to deipair of fucce&

To cure siny imperfe^ons in fpeech, arifiig ori-^
ginally £ix)m too quick an utterance, the moft efi
feAual method wiB be, to lay afide an hour every^
morning, to be employed in-the practice of readings
aloud, in a maimer much flower than is ticccflaryj
This fliouldibe done in the bearing ofa friend^ or
fome perfon whofe office it fliould be, to> remind
the reader if' at any time he fliould perceive lum
mending his pace, . and falling ihto' his habit <^ »
quick utterance. Let' him found all his fyllable»
fiiH, and have that point only in view, withoutre-
fcrence to the fenfe of the words ; for if fee is at-
tentive to that, he will unwarily falbinto his old
Vabit : on which account, that he may not be un-

,^ fer any temptation of that fort, I would have him,*
^^^ fbme time, read the words of a vocabulary, in

k the alphabetical order; In this way,' he will foon
find out what letters andfyllables he is apt to found
too^faintly, and flur over,. Let him make a lift of
thofe words, and bc:fure to pronounce them over
diftinftly, every- morning, before he proceeds to
others* Let him accuflom himfelf alfo, when
alone, to (peak his thoughts aloud, in the faix^

flow

xa:<v^x u ivc ax.

flow manner, and with the fame view. Othcrw5fc>
though he may get a .habit of reading more flow-
Ijy he Will £aXL intx) his uiual manner in difcotirie :
and this habit of fpeaking aloud, when sdone,. will
not only Inring him to a more diftinft utterance,
but produce a facility of cxprcSSxifn, in which filent)
thinkers are generally de&£tive» j^'.

There £5 one caufe of indiftinfk articulation,.
which is almoft univerial, and which ari&s fronv
the very genius of our tongue ; fo that unlefs great
care be taken, k is fcarcely pofllble but tliat every
6he fhould be aflEefled by it in fome degree. Eve*
ry Tivord, compofed of more fyUables than one, iit
our language, has one Syllable accented, and pecu^
Early diftinguifhed from the reft j efthcr by a finarfe
percuffion of the voice, or by dwelling longer upon
it. If this accented fyUable be propo-ly diffinguiflx*
ed, the word will often be fufficicntly known, even
though the odiers are founded very confufedly.
This produces ^ ncgBgence, with regard to the ai^
Ificnlation of the other fyBables 5 which though it
may not render the fenfe obfcure, yet deftroys ^t
meafure and proportion, and confequently all har-
mony in delivery. This fault is fo general, that I
would fbrongly recommend at firft, the prafticc of
pronouncing the unaccented fyllabies more fidly^
^nd dwelling longer upon them, than is neceffary^,
SIS the only means, of bringisig thofe, who& utterw.

ance is too rapid, to a due medium. It istrue there
are fome, who through the misfortune of bad 'm^
ftroftion, oi: prevalence of early had example, have
a tedious drawlmg utterance, dwellingalmoft equal-
ly on all fyllables, (of which I iball fpeak more un-
der the head of accent ;) but as this is neither con-
Ibnant to the genius of the tongue, nor the cuftom-r
ary manner of fpeech in this country, there is.noi
great danger of erring on that fide^

PRONUNaATioisr:

The next article which I propofe to treat of, isj^
pronunciation* This word,^ \fhich had fuch a com^
prehenfivc meaning amongft the ancients, as to take
in the whole compafs of delivery, with its concom-
itants of look and gefture; is confined with us to
very narrow bounds, and. refers only to the manner
of founding our words. This indeed is the only
article relative to elocution, ^ which claims any part
of our attention. The reafon of which feems to*
be this. In all other points of elocution, all-ranks
and orders of men, wherever- bom, or in. whatever
fituation of life, are equally, liable to the fame de-
feats, and to fsill into- the fame errors. Amongft
thofe bred at the univerfity, or at court, as well as^
amongft mechanics, or nifties ; amongft thofe who-
fpeak in the fenate-houfe, pulpit, or at the bar, as-
well as amongft men in private iifc ; we find ftam^-

mcrers,„

lECTURE n. j^

merersi IHpers, a mumbling indiftinft utterance ;
iQ-msmagemeut of the voice, by pitching it in too
high, or too low a icy ; Ipeaking too loud, or fo
foftly as not to be heard ; and. ufing difcordant
tones, and falfe cadences. Theie being, I fay, com«
mon to all raife and ckfles of .men, have not any
marks cS* difgrace.put upon them, but on. the con-
trary meet with genecal indulgence, S'om a general
corruption.

But .It 'is not ib with regard to pronunciation ;
in which though there be as great a difference be-
tween men, as in any other article, yet this differ-
ence, is not fo much between >in(Mvidaa]s, as whole
bodies' of men ; inhabitants of difierent countries,
and'fpeaking one common languge, without agree-
ing int the manner of pronouncing it. Thus not
«nly the. Scotch, frifh, and Welfh, have each their
own icKmns, which: uniformly prevail in thofe coun*
tries, but almoft every county in England, has its
pecidiar disdedl. Nay in the very metropolis two
different modes of pronunciation prevail, by which
the inhabitants of one part of the town, are dif-
tinguiihed from thofe of the other- One is current
in the cjty, and is called the cockney ; the other
at the court end, and is called the polite pronun-
ciation. As amongft thefe various dialects, one
xnufl have the preference,'And become fafliipnable,
it will of courfc fall to the lot of that which pre-
vails

4a LECTURE II.

Tails at court, tlie fburce of h&dens of all kmd&
All other dialefb, are fure marks, eitho- of a pro-
vincial, niitic, pedantic, or mechanic education;
:and therefore have fome deg^e of difgrace annex-
^ to them* And as the court pronunciation is no
where methodically taught, and can ^ acquired
only hy converfing with people in pdite life, it is a
fort of proof that a perfon has kqpt good company,
and on that account is fought after by all, who
wifli to be confidered as fafhionable people, or
members of the beau monde. This is the true rea-
fon that the article of pronunciation has been the
chief, or rather only objeA of attention, in the
whole affair of delivery. Yet though this is a
point, the attainment of which is ardently defired
by an infinite number of individuals, there arc few
who fucceed in the attempt, through want of meth-
od, rules, and aiBftante of mafters j without^which
old habits cannot efily be removed.

The difficulties to thofe who endeavour to cure
themfelves of a provincial or vicious pronunciation
are chiefly tliree. ift. The want of knowing ex-
aftly where the fault lies, adly. Want of method
in removing it, and of due application. 3dly, Want
of confcioufnefs of their dcfefts in this point. Tlie
way of getting over thefe difSculties I ftall endeav-
our to point out*

As

Jfis to the firft vtide, the waut of knowing ex-*
^£\ij wHere the fa^t lie$i mc^ pecfoos who haw
a provinasd diafe£t» finding that in eveiy Sentence
thej utter, thete are m^y things to be reprehend*-
cd, ai^e apit to vnagine that their iwhd^ fpeech is
infeAed:; and therefore look upon a totsd citfe^
-againft tthe ;(tiropg poturer of early h^bit, ^as imprao-
ticable : whereas were they to iraEa^mUse into the
'four.ee fif this frregtilaSrity* they would find it to
arife perhaps^ only from a dififerent manner of
founding ibme oiT the vowels, which occmring gen-
erally in every .fenience, feeix«» to iaMV tiiieir whph
^ifcourle.

Thiis the gentlejooeii oi -Ireland for inftanqe, dif-
fer frcMn thofc of Enghndt chiefly in two of jthc .
"ibunds belcHiging ito the Vowels JS acid q, founded
by them a and ^e, and.even with regard -to ^Ayotti
alib, not always, but only in ceftain iwords. In

many of which iSiey ^c thclbandJ^ to/the-firft
voWel where it is pronotihccd Ji, land the fotmd e
to the fecond, >rhere it is pronounced e* Th=tis
the words patron, matron, are pronounced by diem
.patron, matron, ^tKe ^i being founded as it is in
fadier : fever, fea, pleafe, ite prOhourtced like fa-^
Voiir, fays plays. Tfhey tb6n becoifte corifdous of
this diverfity of found, and hot knowing exaflly
in what l^ords it is ufed, in order to imitate the
iJngtifli proijiindation, they ad(^ thefound ce in
y "^ V all

44 LECTURE 11.

all words without diftinftion j inftcad of great they
fay greet ; for occafion^ occeefion ; days, dees, &c

Now this miftake is evidently, owing to want of
method ; for ^ere there a vocabulary made> con-
taining all the words'in alphabetical order, in which
the Engliih pronunciation differs from the Irilh
with regard ?to thefe two founds, their number
would not be very confiderable, and all might by
moderate praftice,in a ihort time, make themfelves
completely mafters of the polite pronunciation*, for
they fcarcely differ in any oAcr j)oints, or at leaft
the exceptions arc fo few, that they might be
brought into a very narrow compafs.

This brings meto^the coniideration of the fec-
ond impediment in the way of fuch as would be
defirous of getting rid of a provincial dialeft, the
Want of methx)d ; oftcn,thc fomxe of Mrant of due
application.

- As there is no metiho(l ready to his hands, each
individual muft form one to himfelf. Let him in
the firft place employ his attention in difcovering
the particular vowels in the Xounding of which the
provincial manner differs from the polite pronun-
ciation. Let him by the help of diftionaries and
vocabularies, make out a lift of the words, in which
thofe vowels are to be found j Mid get ibme irlend
to attend him whilft he reads thoCc words Dver, and
mark their particular founds, diftinguiihing thofe

which

which diflfer from the general rule. When by thefc
means he is able to foimd them all rights let him
practice them daily over by - himfdf, and let him
kltd iuch wovds^as he finds moft difficult of prd-
nunciation, and form diem into fentencesj verfes,
or anagrams 5 which he may get by heart arid fre-
quently repeat. Though dm- may feem laborious
at firil, the talk in the progrefs will be found cafier
than is imagined> and he who makes uie of this
micthod will be encouraged to proceed, from the
certainty of fuccefs which will attend every ftcp of
his progrefs. Whereas they who attempt to alter
their pronunciation without method, only plunge
from, one error into another^ and foon grow weary
of fruitlefs pains..

Beiide fuch as have a provincial pronunciation
of certain letters, perceptible in*all words wherein
thofe letters are founded, there arc few gentlemeiv
^f England who have received their education at
country fchools, that are not infedted with a faUe.
pronunciation of certain words, peculiar to each^
coimty. It will not be difficult for /them to coUeA
all (uch words, as they ieldom are numerous ; and
after having collected them, if they will daily re-
peat them, till the tongue gets a habit of pronounc-
ing the new founds with eafe, they will foon take,
glace of the others in their, common fpeech. And
Ihrely every gentleman will think it worth while^

to

4<y iJsitrruKii; m

to tzke ibme psSns, tf> get rid of fiich evideiil
marks of mfticity,

Hon eafy would' it be td diange tbe cocknc]^
pronunciatioii, by makiiig uEc of a prpper ixietliod f-
The chief di!fl&rehce lies m the maimer of ptom
nouncing the ve, or o conlbdant as it is commonly,
called, and die w; which they frequently inter-<
ehongeably ule for each other. Thus they call veair
weal, vinegar winegar. On the other, hand they,
call winter vinter, well veil. Though theconvert-^.
iug the w into a v is ZK>t fo com^ion as tj^e chang-.
ing the t; into a icf.

Whoever will, allot a certain portion of tsne-
every day, to read aloud in the hearing of a friend,
all words in the dictionary beginning with thofe
two letters, wiH ^nd in a fliort time thte t^e pro-,
nunciation become fkmiliair to him.; In children,
this error might in. a great meaiure be prevented^
if when, they are taught to f|>ell, the letter were
called by the niune which imrks ifs power, Vf in-^.
ftead of ii cohfbnant ^ foi^ in that c^ftf the verye-.
found of the letter would gui4* thiem to tke*frue>
pronunciation ; whexfias in the other the found it-,
jfelf confirms them in the vulgai; otc. A child
might be foon made fenfibfe of the abfurdity o£^
founding veal weal, though it is impoffible he
fhould perceive any impropriety in pronouncing
u e a I in that manner.

Anotho?:

JCECrURE IE 47

Anotho: vice in the cpckhejr-pronimciation, is
the changing the found of the laft fyUables -of words
endkg in ow, whercrer it it^ not founded like^ a
dij^tihong, but like a fin^ o^ (which i» always the
cafe when the laft ffiiaibic is 'unaccented) into er-—
as feller for fellow*— bcUer^ hoUcr, foller, winder, —
for bellow, hollow, follow, window* . As^alfo add-
ing the letter r to all proper names ending in* a un^
accented, as Bielindar, Dorindar, for Belinda, Do->
rinda. But the words in our language which come
under either of the above cafes are>fo few, that a
lift of them m^ht loon- be made, and the i^icious
habit give place to a juft one by the method of
prance before recommended^
. With refpeft to the ruftic pronunciation, pre-
vailing in the feveral counties, I mean amongft the
gentry, and fudi as have a. liberal education, there
docs not feem toibe any ^nenJUcrror of-this fort 5
their deviations' being for the moft part, only in
certain words, founded . in; ; a peculiar manner . by
each county ; and which* probably 4)we thdir prcC*
ent pronunciation, to the continuation of the old
cuftom^S which like other antiquated modes, change
es more itewly in paroportion to their diftancefrom^
or want of^ communication with the court. And
.thefe deviations not being very numerous, as. was
before obferved, may eafily befet right-. But there
is one defeA which more generally prevails in- the
F z couiittes

4* LECTURE n:

counties than vasfptbari omdrndtedU daily g^n-^
ing ground aiAongft the politer port of the worldi'.
I mean the cmiSSon of the afpirate in many word9
by fome, and in moft- by others. Wete this cut*
torn to become general^ it wo^d deprive our tohgue
of (fae pmt fund of foreetmd expreffian. For-
not only certain words have a peculiar energy, but-
feveral emotions of the mind are ftrbngly niaited,
by this method of fhoottng out the words (if I may
be allowed the ci;prefl3on) with the full force of the
breath. As in the eiclasjiations what ! When?-
where ? why ? how ! hark J hifH—^fti the words
hard, harflij heavc^hurti whirl> whifperj wHftlCi
If any one were to pronounce the following ftii-
tehee. Hail ye highminifteiss of Heaven ! how hap-
py are we in hesaing thefe your heavenly tydihgs f
without an aipxrate tixus-^^Atl- yeigh minifters of
caven ! ow ^ppy arc ^t in caring tfefe your eavcn-..
ly tydjngs ! who does not fee that the Whole exprefr
Eon of triumph and exultation would be loft? And"
the fame may be obfcrvedwith regard to the ic^po*
fite expreflion of abhorrehcife and deteftation, if the
following fentence, How I hate^ how I abhor fiick
hell-hounds ! were pronounced in the fame man*-
tter, ow I ate, ow I abbor foch eltounds. Rjt let
no one imagine, that becaufe he Would not pro^
nounce many fucceflive words, or a whole fentence
in this manner, he is therefore entirely free from

defeft

EEGTURE in. 4^

deSBBL in this point ; fbr I baiTC met vifh. bat few-
iafianoes-in the courfe o£ iny experkace) and thofe
only in the moft correA: Speakers, of ' peribns vha
have not been guilty of omxifiihg thea^orate firom>
fome wonk^ or^viiig it too faimly to others.. The
Keft method of caring this vilt be- 16 read over
freqaendy ^ in»rd8 begimnng mtb the letter H
snd tfaofe beginni^ with JFi a the di£)s0nary9
and pufh them OQt with the faUfc«!ce of ^the breathy
tin an habit is obtained of aipicatiDg^lbongly : nor
need any one fi> circumftanced bfc apprehenfiTe of
felling into an.extreme on that fide, as the old hab* -
It will pdi as' ftrongly <m- the oppofite fide, and ul •
this, as in alt other p(H^% reduce if to a medium.

lliere is anoAer artitk wluch^has produced fre*
quent difputes widi regard 'to pronunciation, as
whether the word fixduld be pronounced 'con'cord-
anceor concoriMance-— refraflory orrefrac'tory —
but points of this lafid eome more properly under
the next head which t IhSill; treat o^ that of Ac- >
cent.

There are Ibme oAer- words alfo of duinous
found, fixch as goold or.gold, w&d or wind; pro-
nunciations of this kind have thdr feVeral zAvo^
cates, and there is no impropriety in ufing eithen
In cafes of diis nature all who have an opportunity
of being informed of that pronunciation moft uftd
by men of education at court, will have the heft

authority

J5?r EECTUKE IE

mdiorify on. their fide ; as that is indeed the tmljK
fiandard we can refia* to, jn .critic2dxafeS|..as well
a^others. ,

I cosxkcrmowto fpeak' of the iafty ami chief obfta«t
de in the waj of thofe who are ddifoua of chang*
ing a .Vitiated prommciation:.' for a. right one ; :X
mean a want ofvconfciouihefs o£'. their defe£h and
errors in .that point*. And thb isreitfaentotal, or
p^iaL rn^tal, when -men think thejr^ have no
faults to amend) partial^ when tfaef: know thejr
have faultSi but are not «9nfcious«<of5th£m at the
time they commit them. The former, whilft thejr
remain under the inAuence of this vain opinion^
are incurable ;; the latter^ >ftand in need .only of
method and information) to be fet right- - I have
known many inflances of both kinds,, in peribos
who have come to London with a provincial dia-r
le£t At.£rft, the difference of pronunciation in
many words, cannot but ftxike them } but. aa^ they
know not any method: by which.theynaay acquire
that which is right, they leave it to time to bring
abouta change; not confidering that early habit
cannot be diflodge4>)int by, much, pains andprao-
tice. When Uieir* ears? have- been, for any length
^ time, £iM3uliarizied to the new pronunciation,
they no longer perceive the diftin£kiajt';. and inftead
of attributing this to the true caufe, they are apt
10 flatter' th&nfdves, that it is. owing to. a gradual

change

dizoige wrought in their own: pronunciation to the
ffifhionable one. There are others^ who take fbme
pains to find out. d^exfr &ult% and ta be infermed.
of the pai^itulars in which they dtfSsr £haiixl the
tflablifhed mode*; and thii^ the bnfinefi is accoof
j^Ufhedy when, they have obtained this knowledge^
But they do. not conii^er that tokyiow^ and toprac«
l^ce, are two difib'ent. thingis; and that early cui^
torn will e^fcp prove too ftrong lor the fbrmeti H
Ae latter does.not come to it& aid; Noduiig i^^
more frequent than inftances of perfons cenftantly
Jkniprcmounchig i&^eral words, not through igno*
ranee of the right way, for they wffl immediately
correct them&Ives If pot ininind of it $ but through
want of confcioufiieis at the time that they ufe the
blfc oti^y tp. which they have been habituated.
And in pr^;>ordbn as thi» want of confcioufiiefr
takes place, the habile muit for ever gon ftrength.
Hiis will ftifficiently explain the tea&n that fo manyi
provincials have grown old in the capital, without
niaking any change in th^t original 'dxale A. Na.
men can ^nend a fsoky of which he is not con^
ieious; and conicioufnefs catmot exert itfeif, when
barred up by habit^ orvaiaty. In thefe circum^
ftances it is not from ourfdves, but from others,
that we are to learn when we commit afauk; and
p^haps there is no civilized country in the world
irJiere.geople find it fa difficult to ggt informatioa

52 LECTURE IL,

on this head, as England. Here it is cuftomary
enough to laugh at foreigners, and ridicule provin-^
eials, for errors aiid defeAs in pronunciation ^ but
to infonn them of their faults when they conunit
them, or to attempt to correfl them, would be.
thought the height of ill manners* In confequence
of this miftaken notion, they aHb who have moft
need of aid, confider it as a fort of infult when it
is offered, and will not patiently fubmit to correc-
tion ; more elpecially fiich natives of England as.-
have any faults of this kind^ who think they natur-
ally pronounce their mother tongue right. By^
fhutting their ears againft mforma^tion, they indulgei
themfdves in the vain opinion ithat they have na
faults; like the fbolifh man* who fhut his eyes that
no one might fee him. How much more rationab
is the behaviour of the French in this point. They
know that ifa-angers and .provincials mufl necefiari-^
ly commit £iuks in pronovncmgtheir^tongue j and'
therefore do not think that a thing which' is nat-.
iirally to be expeAed^ is a proper fubjeAiof laughs
ter or ridicule. On, the contrary, they, are alwaysr
seady, with the utmofl. politenef^ to iet people
right, whenever: they fall into any miffakcs. Bug
as no aid of this kind is to beexpeAed in England^
^id as the redlifying bad habits depends upon oun
oonfcioufnefs of them at the time we fall into them^
aiod cojQfcioufi]^cfs can . he awakened only by infor-«

mation;^

XECTURE n. 53

matlon ; all who'hare a mind t<> get rid of fbdi
T>ad habitSy muft endeavour to preyail upon their
intimate friends, and acguaintance) never to let any
opportu»ity *flip of putting them in mind of any
fault they commit. Though this may eafily be
complied vrith in private, yet as it is contrary to
*cuftom to attempt it in mixt company, a private
%n agreed on will be a fufficient iint in that cafe.

I-ECrURE

LEtDTURE III,

t ii iiiib

ACXJEbTT.

a

LAVING treated in my formar of artio
illation and pflronundation, I come now to confide!*
the third article, that of Accent. The meaning of
•that term was very diffeffeiit amoiigft the Ancients
from what it is with us. Amongft them we know
*that accents were marked by certain inflexions of
^he voice Uke mufical notes ; and the grammarians
to this dsjy, with great formality inform their ptp-
ipils, that thfe acute accent, is the raifihg the voice
•'on a certain iyllable ; the grave, a depreffion of it 4
"and the circumflex, a nlifing and deprei&on both»
in one and the fame fyllable. This jargon they
►conftantly prdTerve, thotrgh they hstve fio fort of
ideas annexed 'to thcfc lvt)rds ; for if they are alked
to fhew how this is to be done, they tannot tell^
and their praftice always belies their precept. The
truth is, the Ancients did obferve this diftiniHon,
becaufe we have it on the authority of all their writ^^

LECrtTRE m 55

*tt^, who have troted on*thef«ibjed^ but the man-
ner in which they did it muft remain for ever a fe-
cret to te j for wtth the living -tcMigue, perifhed
the tones alto, which We in vain endeavour to feck
for in their viflble marks. Tet fuch was the abfuN
dity of raaftcrs of gramihar fchbols <5n the' revival
of ancient Uteiratttre, that though k was impo&ble
Tor them to difcover the true ufc of the accents
amongft the Greeks, rathw* than acknowledge their
Ignorance, or that thofe marks were become titter*
ly ufelefs, they fell itlto a praAice as abfurd as could
poflibly have emcrcd into the lieads dT the moft ig*
inorant barbarians j for obKinately and pedantical*
iy retaining the marks, notwithilanding their cvt*
^ent inanity, to ftpport this praiftice, they deter-
mined to apply them rather to a falfe ufe, tlian to
lione at alk A*d findihg^ impoffiblc to come at the
leaft knowledge of the accents as lifed amongft the
Ancients, *they determined at all events -to adopt in-
to thciir praftice the modeni ufe of them j though
that term has quite a difiercntfignificatiOn amongil
tis. This praftice is juft as wife, as if the fame
term wliich fignified man amongft tlie G'i^ee'ks, fig*
nified horfe 'ambngft us, and we were to reafon
'from names to things, and concltrde thdrefok-e that
^ horfe was a rational creature. And indeed it had
pretty much thfe fame efiefts * in point of reading
tJrtrdk, producing the moft mani&ft ab/iirdities.
G For

56 LECTURE IVL

For whoever read Greek in that way, neceffarily
deftroyed all quantity and meafure ; and therefore
they were obliged to read the fame individual words
in a different manner in verfe, from what they did
in profe. Amazing ! that fuch an abfurdity did
not at once convince them of their error. But as
fome eminent snafters, of more enlarged minds,
have lately abolifhed this prafticc in the xhicf of
the public fchools, and as a few editors have ven-
tured to publiih fome Greek books without thofe
infignificant marks, it is to be hoped that a refor-
mation in this article will foon be made general.

Thus much I thought neceflary to premife, that
any perfon who has early imbibed confiifed notions
of the term accent in the ancient languages, may
banifh them from his mind, and only be prepared
to confider what the ufe of it is ^mongfl us.

The term with them, fignified certain inflexions
of the voice, or notes annexed to certain fyllable^
. in fuch proportions as probably contributed to make
their fpcech mufical. X)f thefe they had chiefly
three in general ufe, which were denominated ac-
cents, and the term ufed in the plural number.

The term with us has bo ref^'ence to inflexions
of the voice, or mufical notes, but only means a pe-
culiar manner of diftinguifhing one fyllable of a
word from the refl:, denominated by us accent } and
the term for .that reafon ufed by us in the Angular
number* This

LECTURE ni> ST

This diftin^on is made by us In two ways \ ei-
ther by dwelling longer upon one fyllable than the
reft ; or by giving^ it a fmarter percuffion of the"
voice in utterance. Of the firft of thefe, we have
inftances in the words, giory^ father, holy ; of the
laft, in batVle, hab'it, bor'row. So that accent,
with us, is not referred to tune, but to time ; to
quantity, not quality; to the more equable or pre-
cipitate motion of the voice, not to the variation of
notes or inflexions* Thefe have nothing to do
with words feparately taken, and are only made ufe
of, to enforce, or adorn them, when they are rang-
ed in fentences..

It Is by the accent chiefly that the quantity of
our fyllables is regulated ; but not according to the
miflaken rule laid down by all who have written
on the fubjedl^.that the accent always makes the
fyllable long ; than which ^ere cannot be any thing*
more falfe. Forthe two ways of diftinguiihing
reliables by accent, a& mentioned before, are diredl-
ly oppofite, and produce quite contrary effefts ; the
one, by dwelling on the fyllable, neceflarily makes
it long ; the other, by the finart percuffion of the
voice,, as neceflarily makes it fliort. Thus tlie firft
fyllables in. glory, father, holy, are long ; whilft
thofe in battle, habit, borrow are fhort. The quan-
tity depends upon the feat of the accent, whether
it be on the vowel or confonant 5 if on the vowel,

the

58 ixcruRE in.

the fyllaMt iis necef&rily long > as it makts the vovc^^
el k>ng ; if on the ccmfiuiant^ it may be eitBer long^
or fhort, according to the nature of the confonant>
or the time taken i^ in dwelling upon it. If the
confonant be in its nature a fhort Qne> the fyllable
is neceiTarily fhort. If it be a long one, that is>
one whofe found is capabk of being lengthened, it-
may be long or fhort at the will of the fpeaker.

By a fhort confbnant I mean one whofe found
cannot be continued after a vowel, fuch as c or k
p t, as ac, ap, at-^Vrliilftthat of long confbnants.
can, as, el em en er ev, &c. If >we change the feat-
of the accent in the inflances before mentioned we
fhould change their quantity ; were we inftead of
gl6-ry to fay glor'-y — ^inflead of farther fatli-cr—
inflead of ho-ly hoi -y, the firfl fyllable* would be-
come fhort 'j as on. the othet hand, were we to,
dlwcYL on the YOwd& inflead of the consonants in.
the lafl infhmcesi Aey. would dtuM^ge from fhort
to long ; flK)uld we for inflancc inftead of baOtlc
fay battle-r-for ha^^it habit — and for bor'rdw bor-
row. This is Qne of the chief foturces of the dif*
ference between the Scotch and Englifli. gentlemen,
m the pronunciation of Englifh I'l mean, the lay-
ing the accent on thte vowel, inftead of the confo-
nant, by which means they make fyllables long,
that are Ihort with us.

And, here I cannot help takif^ notice of a cir^

Qunftance,

LECTURE IH. 59^

camftance, which fliews in- i^e ftrongcft light, the
^an^zing deficiency of thofe, who have hitherto«
employe4 their labours on that fubjeft, in point,
of knowledge of the true genius and conftitution
of our tongue. Several of the compilers of dic-
tionaries, vocabularies, and fpelling books, have un-
dertaken to mark the accents of pur words; but
fo little acquainted were they with the nature of
oisr accent, that they thought it neceffaiy only to
mark the fyllal^le^on which- the ftrefs is^to be laid,
witbout marki$ig.the particular letter of the fylla-
ble to which the accent belongs. They have there-
fore marked thejn by one unifoml * rule, that of
placing the accent always over the vowel of the
diftinguifhed fyllable;: By whicli means they have
done worfe, tha|i' if they had not pointed out fuch
fyllables at all ; for this rule, inftead of guiding,
ftrangers to a true pronunciation, , infallibly leads
them to a wrong one, whenever the accent fhould
be placed on the confonant. Thus all foreigners
and provincials, mufl for ever be mifled, by con-
fiilting fuch diftionaries. For inftance, if they
look for. the word endeavoury finding the acgent
upon the vowel e,, they wilLof courfe found it enr
deavour. In the fame faanner, ded^'icate will be
called dedicate — ^precip'itate precipitate — hab'it ha~
bit, and fb on. Now had they only attended to
the plain, rule,, of placing the accent always over
G 2! ths

6o LEcrusE nr.

the conibiiaitt, whenever the fbeis is upon Asit,.
they would have afibrded the beft and-moft gener-*
al guide to jpfl^ pfoiiu|Kiatton» that could be found
with regard to our tongue. Fwr. it is an unerring
rule throughout the whole^ that whenever the ac--
cent 19^ on. the €onf<»)ant» the preceding vowel hasr
a fhort found. As diere is aUb another in^lible
rule in our. tongue^ that no- vowel ever has a long,
found in an unaccented fyllable»^ if this article of
accent were properly adjufted, it wotdd prove 9r
mafter key to^ the pronunciati^m of our whole
tongue.

When we fee fuch a palpable and grofi miftake
as this^ in oim compilers of di£U(maries, we fhould:
be at a lofs to account for it, if we did not refled^
that they, as wdl as our grammarians, have never
exammcd the ftate of die living tongue, but who&
ly confined their labours to the dead~ written lan-
guage ; their chief objeflb therefore has been to at
fift filcnt readers, in comprehending the meanings
of the words j not thof^^ho are to read aloud, ihr
a proper delivery 5 to teach men how to write, not
how to fpeak cotrefikly*. fe this view, the marking
the fyllable albne on which the accent is laid, wklt*
out attendfaig to the particular letter^ would an<^
fwer their purpofe, as it woul<l enable writers to
arrange their words properly in metre, according
to the rules, of Englilh. verfification. Every word

iiv

lEcru'RE nr. et

ihf our Tangnage of more fyllaWes than one has an.
accented fyliabie. The longer polyiyHablcs, have
frequently two accents, but one is fo much ftrongcr.
than the others as to fiiew that it is but one word ;
and the inferior accent is always lefi forcible, than^
any accent that k the fingle one in a word. Thus
in the word expos^tulator'^, the firongeft acccnris.
on the fecond fyQable pos^', but there is a. fainter
accent on the bft. fyllable but one, ibnnded tiir^»
entpos^'tulatur-ry, as a fbcceffion of four, unaccented'
fyllables would' not be agreeaHc to the ear, and.
might prevent diflindl: articulation; All monofyU
hbles in our langttage are alfo accented, the partLi'
des alone excepted, which arc always without ac---
cent, when not cmphatical ; and they are long or
fhort, in the fjime manner as before mentioned, ac-^
cordihg as the feat of the accent is on the voweFor-
confonanti Thus, atPd, M^ bUF, rod^; cuVy are all
fliort, the voice paffing quickly over the vowel' to>
die confonant } but for the contrary reafon, the-
words all, laid, bfde, road, dibe, are fong, the ac-^
cent being on the vowels, on which the voice
dwells fbme time before it ibunds the confonants.

As no utterance can be agteeable to the ear,
which is void of proportion^ and as all quantity^
or proportion of time in utterance, depends upon
a due obftrvation of the accents it is a matter Si
^bfolute ncceflity to all, who. would arrive at t

good

6z LECTURE IIL

good and graceful delivery, to be mafter of thdt
point. Nor is the ufe of accent in our language
confined to quantity alone j but it is alfo the chief
mark by which words are diftinguifhed from mere
fyikbles. Or rather I may fay, it isv the very ef-
fcnce of words, which without that, would be only
fo many coUedtions of fyllables* The eflence of a
fyllable confifts in articulation only, for every ar-
ticulate found of coiu-fe forms a fyllable* The eC-
fence of a word coniifts in accent as well as articu-
lation. This will be- made clear by an. inftance:
If I pronounce the word ar-ti-cuJa-^-tionj in that
manner, without diftinguifhing any fyllable from
the reft, it is no longer a word, but a fucceilion of
fyllables", but when I pronounce it articulation,
laying an accent on the fyllable la, that it h which
conftitutes a wqrd, by uniting the preceding fylla-
bles, and the fubfequent one to itfelf. And with
refpedl to monofyllablesj all which can properly be.
called words, are accented ; for the particles, which
are unaccented,, can difcharge their office perfedlly
in their mere fyllabic .ftate ; they being in fadt no-
thing more than fimple articulate founds to mark
the relation and difference between words, and are
therefore better fitted for that office, by being
fomewhat different from words, than if they were
6f the fame clafs •, and indeed in their very name
of particles, this diftinftion fecms to have been in-
tended.

tsended. But when, by being emphatical, tKey ob-
tain an accent, they then become words ^ not in-
name (ml^, but in fa£t; as in thatca^ they ftandl
in the room of words and difcharge theiir office.

It is true this manner of diftinguifhing words?
from mere fyllables is not necefiary, nor the only
way by which it can be done* The Greeks we-
know had anotiber manner^ whith was that of dif^
tinguiihing them by a certain tone or note annex-*-
ed to each word, which under their: nice regula-
tions, muft have contributed to niake their fpeecK
more mufif al. and pkaiing to.the ear,^than that of
any other nation in the world ; and this was ac-
knowledged by the natives of all other countries
who viiited them, and even by the Romans them*
ielves, in tlie height of their glory.' Nay it was
I^nown that foreigners liftened to their onitors»
t}iough they did' not uaderftand' their; language^
with as much pteafure as we do^ to Italian imagers ^-
from the mere delight they took» in the harmony
of their utterance*. But as this is, a method not:
gurfued by any of the mioderns, ex^eptin^ the Chi*,
nefe, of whom, we know hut little, arid a thing
about which we can have but very obfcure ideas, it
would anfwer no end tp beftpw any fartlier confid*
Ration upon it.

The third way of diflinguiihing words from fyl-
lables, i5 by making a perceptible paufe at the end

Qf:

of each "vrord. This laft is the practice of. many"
modem nations ; but in languages that abound, in-
long fyllablesy and whofe words are therefore often
compofed of lyllables of an equal length, this meth-
od of diftinguifhing them by perceptible paufes,
muft add to the tedioufnefs, with which: the ear is?
difgufted by a fucceffion of lortg founds^

Some certain method of diftinguifhing words
from mere fyllables, muft evidently be one of the'
firft fteps taken, in ' redticing language to any de-
gree of regularity ; and this can be done only by
one of the three ways before mentioned j either by
affixing an accent to each word ; or a certain note
w tone ; oit a paufe at the end. The fecond meth-
od ufed by the Gi*eeks, has never been the prac*
tfcc of any part of Europe, and therefore it would'
be but fniitlefs tebour to^ examine it« But it i»
well worth the pains to enquire, whether the firft^
ufed by us, or the latterby many other nations, is
in its own nature bcft ; as it may turn our attention
to a point hitherto little confidered, and yet which-
is one of the chief fources of fuperiority that wc .
have over our neighbours j and oneofthe greateft
perftftions of which our- language has to boaft.
But above all, becaufd the knowledge of this wilF
make etery native of thefe kingdoms better ac-
quainted with the peculiar genius of our tongue,
and afford him one of the beft lights to guide him-
to a juft and harmonious delivery.

Now?

XECTURE ni- ^

TTow to. compare thefc two ways of diftingui£b«
Ing words, by accent, or by paufe ; firft with re-
gard to utility, and. next to ornament.

With refpeft to utility, it rauft be allowed, that
the method of diftinguiffaing words from mere fyk
lables, which is the moft evident and precife, and
which takes up the teaft time, is beft. Now there
cannot be a more evident or precSe diftinAion,
than that of accent ; nor one which can be execute
ed with more eafe and certainty : it requires no
nicety of ear, as in the ^ftinguiflung of tones, or
meafuring time ; it only demands that one fyllablc
ihould have a greater ftrefs laid on it than others.;
and the only difference is. in laying the ftrefs on the
vowel or confonant, which is of courfe acquired by
natives, and by a proper method, might foon be ob-
tsdned by others. But 'the diftindtion by paujTes,
having reference to the meafurement of time, can
have no cettain rule in irregular difcourfe, and muft
depend upon the ear of each individual. We know
how difficult it is to obferve exa£hiefs of time in
the paufes ©f mufic, even with the affiftance of rules
and marks ; how much more fo muft it be where
there are none ? And with relpeft to brevity, it
muft be evident, that the way of marking thein,
which adds not at all to their natural time, muft be
preferable to that whofe very eflence confifts in tak-
ing up more time. In point of ufe4:herefore accent

has

466 LECrUfeE ISL

lias clearly tbe prdferetice^ Nov 4et us confidedr
them with regard to ornament. > '

The ornament of fpeech. To £ir as relates to
foond, •confiftsjn the.pleafure which it gives the
ear. This is the refiik of. harmony 4 aiid harmony
of propcH-tion and variety^ of t(Mies and times. Now
as tones are here out of the i^tieftion, let us fee
which of thefe waiys bids faireft for fixing a . juft
aneafurement of proportion, and^fgreeablc variety
^of times.

I have already mentioned that when the accent
is on the vowel, it of courfe ms^es the fyllablc long 5
and when the accent is on thfe cerifonant, the fylia*«
ble may be either long or fhoft, according to thft
nature of the 'tonibnsait, or will of the fpeakcrs.
•And as the accent alone is a fiiflicient diftinftion of
'Words, without pauiGng longer at the end of them,
than at the end of a fyllable, excepting where thfe
"fenfe require$ it^ and as all unaccented rytlableBare
fliort, the quantity of our fyllablcs Is -adjufted by
the eafieft and fimpleft rule in thfe world, and in
•^the exa<5left proportion. When we cohfider toOj
that tHis is effefted by the vcty power ^hich con*-
ftitutes words, and rendered manifeft by the iatnJb
mark, which 'diftingaifhes tc-ords from mere fyll»*
bles, it ought to-ftrike us with admiratidn. It is a
*niaxim in mechanics, that the fewer and fimpler the
g^incip^es are by wliich any machine is c^vnflmft^

«d

LECTURE HL (J7

ed.to anfwer its end» the better ; and the fame will
hold here. n(^

But in the manner of diftinguifhing words from
fyUables by longef paufes at their end, it will be ex-
tremely difficnlt, as was before x>bferved, to keep a
due proportion in that way. Some will be apt to
run their words too clofe together, and fo reduce
thenx to the ftate of fyllables : or they will make
the paufes too Ijjng, which may confound the fenfe^
take up much xmneceiTary time in difcourfe, and
produce a tedieufnefs very di%ufting to the car.
But iUppofing that a due medium could be obfcrv-
ed, which is fcarce poffible at beft, and in general
is utterly impoffible, this method of diftinguifhing
words, muft, in its own nature, prevent any regu-
lar proportion of time being fettled, in the delivery
of fuch a language. For as the time of the paufe
muft l>e equal at the end of each word, and as#
words are conftituted of different numbers of fyUa-
bles, the diftance of thofe paufes from each other
rauft depend wholly upon the inequality of the
words which compofe the Sentences, and therefore
never can be reduced to any certain proportion.
If for inftanccj a word of two fyllables is followed
by a monofyllable, and tliat by a word of five fyU
lables, all of the fame length 5 the diftance of time
between the firft verbal paufe and the fccond, will
be as two to one ; and the diftance of time between
H the

6« LECTURE III.

tlie fecond and third, will be as one t6 five ; and
out of fuch unequal and uncertain proportions, no-
thing harmonious can be produced.

Another reafon, againft ufing this method of diA
tinguiihing words from fyllibles by final pauies, is,
that paufes or ftops of the voice, arc chiefly ufed
to poin{ out the connection and dependanee which-
words have on each other, by dividing fentences in-
to different members, according to their connection,
and marking that connection by different lengths
of paufes. Now if the fame method is taken to
diftinguilh words from each other, ?is is ufed to
diflinguifh the difierent members of fentences, it
will hardly be poffible to hinder their interefts
from clafhing, and producing confufion in the
meaning. And as the making ourfelves clearly
underftood, is the chief end of fpeech, the article
of perceptible paufes, or the flops of the voice, fa
efientially neceflary to that end, fhould be applied
to that ufe only.

As there are but the three ways before mention-
ed by which words can be diflinguiihed, either
one, or more of them muft be adopted, by all who
aim at any regularity of utterance. If more than
one way be introduced, it will breed confufion, and
It will be impoffible to fettle any due proportion.
In the French language, I mean in the public de-
livery of it, where they aim at regularity, all three

are

2re ufed on different occafions. Sometimes words
arc diftinguifhed by p^ce{»tible paufes ; fometimcs.
by accents ; fometimes by tones* This promifcuous
ufe of them is lubverfive of all harmony, and takes
off from the feveral powers of each in their diftinft
provinces. Where a language abounds in words
compofed of fylkbles equally long^ they muft ap-
pear to be equally accented, and nothing can diA
tinguiih them in that caie but verbal paufes^ or
tones ; the inconvenience of the former h^ been
, already laid open, and if the latter are not fettled
by a mufical fcale, (o far as they prevail, they muft
lender the (bund of the language difcordant to tlie
ear. Accent* as a fure mark of diftinftion, can
only* take place in fuch words as are compofed of
ihdrt fyUables, or of oile long and the reft fliort.
This may be feen in every word of the Engliih lan-
guage composed of more (yllables than one ; as no
vowel ever has its ftdl long found unlefs it be ac-
cented. Thus in the word adnure the i in the laft
fyUable being accented has its full long found; but
when by the addition of a fyllable^ the feat of the
accent is changed, as in ad^mirable, the i is chang-^
cd to a fhort one. The beft way of feeing clearly
the difference between the genius of the French
tongue and ours in this refpeft, will be to found x
dumber of words immediately borrowed from them,,
and fee in what the diverfity of pronunciation con-.

fifts.

^o LECTURE m.

fifts. Such as abandon aban'don, combat com'bat,^
college coHege, commun cOm'mon, companion
compan'ion, Europe Europe, obftaclc ob'ftacle, so-
lide fol'id, dofteur doc'tor, faveur favoiir, honeur
hon'our, &c. in moft of which words the fyllabler
are all long in the French, and fhort in the En-
glifli, as the accents are placed on the vowels in
the French and on the confbnants in the Englifh.. .
This it is which makes moft of their words- appear
to an Englifh ear to have as many aeeents as fyl-
lables, by obliging them to give an equal ftrefs to
them. And this would be our cafe alfo, even with
the fhort found of the vowels, if we were to refl
an equal time upon each iyllable, as they do : for
inflance, if inftead of aban'don- we fhould fay a-
ban'-don, for com'bat com'-bat, for com'mon com'i^
mon. But this amongft us would be evidently not
pronouncing words, but fyllables only, as children
do when le^-ning to fpell. The eflence of Englifh
words confifting in accent, as that of fyllables in
articulation. We know that there are as many..
fyllables as we hear articulate founds, and as many
words as we hear accents. So that if any one places,
two equal accents, on the fame word, it founds to
our ear like two words. As if we fhould fay fortune
inftead of fortune ; nature for nature ; hor'rours for
hor'rours ; bat'tlement for battlement, &c. Whd-
ijyer will attend to this point, will find, that no-
thing.

LECTURE m^ %i

thing is moi'^ connnon in public fpeak6r$> but par-
ticularly thoie of the ftagCj than to commit thi^
fsLvlt ; and in this the peculiarity^ of what is called
theatrical prommciation^ chiefly confifts. Nor can
there be a giieater faidt in pronunciation than thisj,
as it is an offence agaiaft the conftitution of qur
tongue ; ag^inft the Avidamental rule up<m which
the Tory efience of our words depends ^ and which
is fo univeifal) that there is not a fingle exceptiox^
to it> in our whok lan^iage^ when the words are
properly prc»»ouneed*

Since therefore it muft be allowed, that in point
of utility, that method of diCtingitiihing words from
fyUables, which is fliorteft, cleareft, smd moft con-
fianl (that i& which admits of the feweft exceptions)
is the beft, I have already ihewn that all thefe qual*
xties bdbng to accent. It is fhorteft, becaufe it
renders all other fyllaWes ihort,. which need only be
articulated and not dwelt upcHi ; and becaufe it puts
an end to the neceifity of verb;d paufes, which need
be no longer than the fyllabic, the accent alone fu£^*
flciently diftmguiOung words* It is clcareft, be-
caufe the diftin<5tion muft be obvious to every one
who kniiJws vi^iat an accent is, and he can never
inift?ihe or doubt And it is moft cooftant, for it
never ad^nits of an exception, as every word has an
accent*

K z And

72 LECTURE HI.

And as to harmony, or the fettling the quantity,
er proportion of fyUables to each other, in order ta
produce metrical iieet, there could not be devifed 2
more eafy, clear, or certain method, than that of
doing it by the very fame rule, which points out
the diftin^on of words^; fo that he who is mafter
of the one, of courfc becomes mafter of the other.*
When we reflect too, that this is the fource fronr
which is derived the plenty of fliort fyllables, yet
in a proportional ratio to the long oneS) in which
refpeft all modem languages (our own excepted);
are fo defe£tive, as either to be wholly incapable of
numbers, or but ill adapted to them ; and that by
the varirty of the feat of accent, our words eafily
and naturally fall into all forts of metrical feet, it
muft be acknowledged that m point of beauty and
elegance, we havtf as- great advantage over other
tongues, by meflns of our uie of the accent, as we
have in fhortnefs and diftin^faief^..

Nor is this all ; for by means of accent, the times
ef paufes rifo are rendered quicker^ and their pro-
portions more eafily to be adjufted and obfervedl
Verbal paufes becoming unnecefiary, the fententiai.
only take place ; it follows of courfe, that the fmall*
eft fententiai paufe need not be longer than what
would be neceflary to a verbal one ; and confe-
quently one half Ids than where the others are uibdc
fer where verbal paufes take places the fmalleft fen-
tentiai.

LECl URE m. 7J

tential paufe, to make a proportional diftin<%on of
one from the other, muft be the^onble of the ver-
bal one, and die refV follow m that prop(»tion>
which muft occafion a dull and diigufting tedioufr
nds. For paufes having no real beauty in them«
ielvesy like tones^ and being uied'through neceffity
only, in ordir ta make the ienfe-moce clear, can-
not be too ihort^ pxnrided they fiiUy anfwer that
end ; therefore the meafiire of the finalleft paufe;
ihould'be its matdfeft- perceptibility ; all additional
time beyond thb, being unneceflary/ And as the
only beauty, which can arife from paufes, muft de-«
pendiupon a due obfervation of proportion in their
duration j according as thed^bsenl members which
compose a ientence require ; the fewer in numbev
the paufes arey the eafkr will it be to obferve that
proportion. Now^ where fentential paufes only
tafae-plice, they will be but four iii number, as the
comma, femicolon^ cdon, and. full ftop. But if the
.verbal p^t^ be admitted^ there wiU be five, and a
much more difficult ratio introduced as I have zU
£eady^ fhewn^. Beiides, as was before obierved,
where verbal paufes take place^it is impoffible any
regular proportion of time can be obferved, words
being formed of flich difierent and unequal num-
bers of fyUables; tod over thefe the compofer has
no power : but it is not fo with regard to fetitential
paufes ; fop. as-the conftruflioii of periods, or veril-

yif .L4i:«^jL uivci XX4.4

es, and tl&eir different members, depends wholly
, upon the will of the CDOspoferf it is in his power to
make fuch a proportional ratio of the ftops^ as at*
ways to produce harmony.
. Thus far then no language can appear to be bisilt
vpon fimpler> ea&r, or more regular principles^
All our thoughts are communkated in fentencai *^
fentences are competed of Words and paufes ; words
are made up of fyUabks^ and fyQaUes of letter^.^
Sound is the effence of letters, articulsition 6£ fylla^
bles, accent of wordu, and coUe^Bona of words uni^
ted by empha& and (prided by proper pauies, of
fentences* And accent at the fame time that it
conftitutes words, &ttks their quantity, ^^ pre^
pares the way for due and proportional paufes;^
Thus words, confidered as the marks of our ideas,
in the nature of com^ come from the mint with the
deareft and phineft ftamp v and are fitted in the
beft manner, for a re4dy and briik circulal:ion, in
the commerce of difcourie. I ihslll now conclude
this head with a few pra^at rules for the ftrift
obfervation of the laws of accent ; the necejHity of^
which, I hope, is by this tune apparant ta all my
hearers.

All perfons who pronounce Engliih words prop*^
erly, of courfe lay the accent right, as that is part
of pronunciation ; and nevcar fail io do fo in con*
▼erfation* But many, when- they come to read or

Ipcak

^cak in public, tranfgrefs the rules of accent. This
arifes from a miftaken notion in fome, that words
arc rendered more diftinft to a* large aflembly, by
dwelling longer upon the fyllables which compofc
them ; and in others, that it adds to the pomp smd
folemnity of public declamation, in which they
think every thing ought to be different from pri-
Tate difcourfe. This has been chiefly the vice of
the ftagei andhas prmcipaQy given rife to the dif-
tinflioir of what is commonly called Theatrical De-
clamation, in oppofition to that of the natural kind-;
kito an imitation of which many public fpeakers.
have been betrayed, and their manner called on
that account theatrical. , Upon examination it
would appcarj that it arifes chiefly horn their dwell-
ing upon fyllables that are unaccented^ through a
notion that it makes the words move more flow,
fiately, and uniform, than the quicker and more
ipirited accents will allow. This was a faidt which
Shakefpear complained of in his time, and which
has not been thoroughly amended fince ; though;
there haver been ibme late efforts, towards^ it, and
fome progrefs made in it.. The paflage alluded to
in Shakefpear is in the advice given to the player
by Hamlet •, where in laying down rules for a juft*
delivery, he fays, " Speak the fpeech I pray you as.
<* I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue ;
« but i£ you mouth it, as. fome o£ our adtors dox I* .

« had.

*< had as licvc the town crier fpoke my lines." By
"trippingly on the tongue," he. means the bound-
ing from accent to accent ^ tripping along hoax
word to vrordf without refting on fyHables by the
way. And by mouthing, is meant, dwelling upon
fyllables that have no accent, and ought therefore:
to be uttered as qmddy as is cooiiftent with diftin£l^
articulation ; or prolong^g the founds of the ac-
cented fyllables, beyond th^ir due proportion of
time. The leafl: degree of faultineis in thia refpe^.
gives an artific^ air to language $ inafmuch as it
differs from the ufual,. and what is commonly call-
ed, natural maimer of utteranc^^ and is oik that ac-^
count, of all others,. to be avoided moft by public
fpeakers ; whofe bufinefs it is induftrioufly tO' con*
ceal art : and chiefly by players, whofe office it is,^
in Shakefjpear*^ phraie, *' to hold, as it were, a mk-
^ rour up to nature.'' It is true this vice does not
prevail fo much at prelentj. as it has daot in the
memory of many peribsns now living ^ when it was
thought an impropriety, to have any thing reiem*
bling real life,^ in the repreientatioa of tragedy v
when men were nekher to walk nor fpeak like hu-
man creatures ', and had " neit&er tie accent of Chrtf^
^tians nor the gait of Cbnjtiam^ Pagans or menP
Some indeed may fey, like the player in Hamlet„
"we hope we have reformed that indifferently
« amongft us i' to whom I fixould reply in Ham-
let's

LECTURE in. "77

lct*s words, *« O reform it altogether ^* and give
the fame eameft advice to all public fpeakers what-
foever ; not only, on account of the artificial air be-
fore mentioned which it gives to the utterance, but
aJfo as it changes the very genius of our tongue, and
deprives it of that great fource of diftin<3iieis, and
proportion, which I have before explained. If any
one prbnotmces the words fortune, in'^oaclii-
mcn't, con^efture, grati^tude, tomorrow, hap^pinefs,
patien^ce ; he does not uttqr words, at leaft not
Engliih words, but fyllables ; which with us, arc al-
ways tied togedier by an accent ; as, for^tune, in^-
croachment, conjec'ture, gratitude, tomorrow hap'-
pinefs, patience. And yet, this is an error, which
almoft all peribns who fpeak with folemnity, run
into, for want of knowing in what, true folemnity
of delivery confifts. Which, though it may de-
mand a flower utterance than ufual, yet, requires
that the fame proportion in point of quantity be ob-
ferved in the fyllables, as there is in mufical notes,
when the fame tune is played in quicker or flower
time. But of this I fliall have occaiion to fpeak
more at large hereafter.

The only rule, with regard to this head, necet
fary to be obferved by all public fpeakers, who can
pronoimce Englifli properly, is to lay the accent
always on the fame fyllable, and the fame letter of

the

' ^ LECTURE m.

the fyilablc, which they ufually do in common dlt
courfc, and to take care not to lay any accent or
ftrcfs, upon any other fyllable. A rule fo plain
and cafy, that nothing but affeftation, or bad hab*
its, contra<£ted from imitating others, can prevent its
always taking place. And yet the want of know-
ing, or attending to this rule, is one of the chief
•fources, of the unnatural manner of declaiming^
which is fo generally complained of, though few
^an tell exactly where the fault lies,

I ftiall only add upon this head, that there are
few things in our language fo regular and well fet-
tled, as the article of accent. It is true there' are
ibme words that have occafioned many difputes
about the feat of the accent, and have had their
different psutifans-; fuch as cori'cordance or con-
<or^dance, xePraclory or refi'ac'tory, cor^ruptible or
-corrup'tible, accen'ted or ac'cented 5 the accenting
of thefe being doubtful, every man is at liberty to
choofe which he likes beft ; and in giving >the pre-
ference, the ear beyond all doubt ought to be con-
fulted, as to that which forms the moft agreeable
found, rather than an abfurd, pedantic rule, at-
tempted to be laid down, that, of throwing the ac-
cent, as far back as poffible ; which has no foun-
dation in. the genius of our tongue, and muft fre-
:quently produce the moft difgordant founds. And

LECTURE m. 79

if aiqr one who has the liberty <^ choofing, fliould
prefer the found of con'cordance, to concordance ;
refraftory to refrac'tory, or cor'niptiblc to comip -
tible } he cannot poilibly make any one form a bet-
ter opinion of his judgment, but I am fure he will
give thofe who have any (kill in founds a very bad
one of his ear.

LECTURE

LECTURE IV.

OF EMPHASia

Xi. AVING treated of Accent, I now pro-
ceed to confider the next head, ,that of Emphafis.
Emphafis, difchargcs in fentences, the fame kind
of office, that accent docs in words. As accent
is the link which ties fyllables together, and forms
them into words; fo emphafis unites words togeth-
er, and forms them into fentences, or members
of fentences. As accent dignifies the fyllable on
which it is laid, and makes it more diflinguifhed
by the ear than the reft j fo emphafis ennobles the
word to which it belongs, and prefents it in a
ftronger light to the underftanding. Accent is the
mark which diftinguifhes words from each other,
as fimple types of our ideas, without reference to
their agreement or difagreement : emphafis is the
mark which points out their feveral degrees of re-
lationfhip, and the rank which they hold in the
imind. Accent addrcfles itfelf to the ear only^

•emphafis,

LECTURE W. ni

€inphafis, through the ear, to the underftanding.
Were there no accents, words would be refolvcd
into their original lyllables : were there no cmpha-
fc, fentences would be refolved into thei^ original
words J and in this cafe, the hearer muft be at the
pains himfelf, firft, of making out the words, and
afterwards their meaning. And as this could not
be done, without fuch length- of paufes, at the end
of fentences and their feveraP members, as would
allow him time to revolve in his memory the founds
which had been uttered, it would make the aftioii
of liftcning to difcourfe laborious and difguftingly
tedious. Whereas by the ufe of accent and cmpha^
fis, words, and their meaning, being pointed out by
' icertain marks, at the fame time that they are ut-
tered, the hearer has all trouble (aved, but that of
liftening^; and can accompany the fpeaker at the
fame pace that he goes, with as clear a comprehen-
fion of the matter offered to his confideration, as
Ae fpeaker himfelf has, if the %eakcr delivers
himfelf welli

The neceflity^ofobferving propriety, of emphafis
IS fo great, that the true meaning of words cannot
be conveyed without it. For the fame individual
words, ranged in the fame order, nwy have feveral
diJSerent meanings, according to the placing of the
emphafis. Thus, to ufe a trite faiftancCj the fol-
lowing fentence may have as many different mean-
ings.

8z WSCTUKE IV.

ings, as there arc words m it, by Taryiiig the em*
phafis. Shall you ride to town to-morrow ? If the
emphafis is on (hall, as ihall you ride to town to*
morrow i it implies, that the perfon fpoken to had
exprefled bef<»re fuch an intention^ but that there
is fome doubt in the (jaeftioner, whether he be de»^
termined on it or PPt, and the anfwer may be»
Certainly, or, I am not Ture. If it be on you, as^
ihall you ride to town to-morrow ? the queftion
implies that fome one is to go, and do you mean.
to go yourfelf, or fend fome one m your ftead i
and the anfwer may be. No, but my fervant fhalL
If on ride, as, fhall you ride, &c. the anfw^ may
be. No, I ihall walk, or go in a coach« If on town^
as ihall you ride to tow^n to-morrow I the anfwes
may be. No, but I ihall ride to the foreiL If on
to-morrow, as, ihaU you ride to town to-mdrrow ?
the anfwer may b«b Np# not to-morrow, but the
next day.

As there U na pointing out the very meaning of
the words by reading, without a proper obferva*.
tion of emphafis, it furely has been a great defeft
in the art of writing, that there h^ve been no
m;u'ks invented for fo neceflary a purpofe ; as it re«.
quires at all times, a painful .attention in the reader
to the context, in order to be able to do it at all \^
and in many cafes, the moft fevere attention will
not anfwer the end i fox the emphafis h often to

LECTURE IV:

fe regtilatcd, not by the preceding part of thfi>
tence, but by the fubfequent onej wluchr frequent
}y is fo long, that the motion of the eye, cannot
precede the voice, with ftifficient celerity, to take
in the meaning in due time. The want of fucb
marks is no where fo ftrongly perceived as in the
general manner of reading the Church Service;
which is often fo ill performed, that not only the
beauty and ipirit of the fervice is loft, but the very
meaning is obfcured> concealed, or wholly per-
verted. I have heard many clergymen, who did
not read one iingle fentence as it Ihould he, from
the beginning to the end ; but I have known few
who were not guilty of many faults in omitting, or
mifplacing the emphafis. . And on this account it is,
that there is nor Gompofition.in the Engliih tongue,
which is at all attended to, fo littl« imderftood, in
general, as the Church- Service.. . This would be
obvious to any one, "whe. would enter into a ferious
examination of the meaning of the fervice, ar.d
compare it with the manner in which it is ufually
delivered. Inftances of impropriety might be fur-
niihed in abundance throughout the whole, but
to give a few evea at the firft fctting out, I mean
in fome o£ the verfes from^ Scripture, that are read
before the exhortation* Upon examining their
true meaning, my hearers will judge whether they.
have ever heard .that meaning expreiledin the dc-
I Ji^ • Uvery.

8z / LECTURE IV.

/

ioF^* The uiual manner of reading the foHow-»

g text, is this :

Enter not into judgenMnt with thy ferVant, O
Lord, for in thy sHght, ihall no man living be jus^^
tified.

Here the word$ not, ferVant, slight, jtisHificd,
between which it is impoffible to find out any con-
ne^on, or dependance of one on the other, are
principally marked* By thefe falfe emphafes the
mind is tm*ned wholly from the main purport, and
drift of the verfe. Upon hearing an emphafis on
the partick not, it expedb quite another conclufion
to make the meaning confident \ and inftead of
the particle^9r, which begins the latter part of the
jlentence, it would expcft a hut ;■ as, enter not inta
judgement with thy fervant, O Lord, hut regard
me with an eye of mercy. When it hears the em-»
pha& on ferVant, it expe£b another conclufion ;
as, enter not into judgement with thy ferVant, O
Lord, but enter into judgement with thofe who
are not thy fervants.. The fame alfo will be found
in the emphafes on the words Jight^ and juftified*
So that the fentence will feem to point at feveral
di&rent meanings, and to have no confiflency*.
But if it be read in the following manner, the mean-^
ing and connection will be obvious : Enter not into
ju^dgement with the fervant'^ O Lord'' for in thy^
fight, ihall no man liv^ing be juftified. Here we

fee

f

&e the wliole meamng is obvious, and that there-
is > a great deal more implied, than the mere words;
could expreis, without the aid of proper emphaies^
Enter not into judgement with thy ienrant, Q
Liord — that is, enter not, O Lord, into the Severity
of judgement with thy creature,— for in thy^ %ht»
-—which is aO^piercing and can ipy the finalleft
blemifh — AzU no man liv^ing be juftified — ^no maa
en earth, no not the beft: ihall be found perfcd^ or
fufficiently pure, to ftand the examination, of the
eye of purity itftlf. — ^For in th^ fight fliall no man
KVing be juftified. Upon this fentence thus pro-
nounced, the following beautiful paflage in Job
floay be a comment.

How then can man be juflified with God ? or
how can he be clean that is bom of woman ? Be-
hold even to the moon, and it {farneth not ; yea
the ftars are not pure in his fight. How much
kfs man, that is a worm ; and the &n of man^
which i^s a worm.

The following verfe is generally pronounced in »
manner equally faulty.

If we fay that we have no fi^n, we decefve our**
felv^es, and the truth is not i^n us : but if we con*
fefs our fi^m, He is faithful and jufl: to forgive us
our fi^ns, and to cleanfe us &om all unrig^hteouf^
nef$»

«* If we fay that we have no fi^n,** — ^Hcrc by lay-J-
kig the ftrong emphafis on the vrord/ay we are lcd<
to a wrong meaning, as if we only faid it with our
Bps, but did not think fo. How then can the con^
duiion follow of deceiving ourfdves ?i We may de-*
ceive others by faying what is falfe, but it is only^
by thinking falfely we can deceive ourfdves. Which-
16 the true meaAing .erf the words properly pro-
nounced* rf we fay that we have no iTn, we de-
ceive ourfclSzes — ^that is, Df there be any; amongit
us, fo vainly blind to thdr own faidts, as to ima-
gine they are without fin, they deceive themfelyes*
This fentence is not an affirmative one, but con-
ditional. It does not fay that there are any fuck
amongft us, but. If there be any fuch } and there-
fore the conditional- particle Ifj is in^this cafe em-i
pkaticaL Pf we fey that we have no fi^ we de-
ceive ourfdves-— and tht truth is not i^n us. . Her©
is another fault committed^ in laying the emphafia
on the words i^n us only, whilft die word truths
which is the importanfone, is flightly paflTed over.
And the truth is not i^n us. That is, the opinioix
entertained of ourfdves is falfe. This flrong an-
phafis laid only on the words i^ us, is the more
unpardonable in thofe who lay fuch an emphafis
on. the word fay, becaufe it by no means follows
that the truth is not in us, becaufe we fay other-
wife > a man may think the truths and fay the. con-
trary;

LECTURE TV. tj

trzTji and this Teiy phrafe proves the meaning of
the text as before explained, that it relates to think*
ing, not iaying ; as it expreCdj fap the truth is not
in us, that is, we tiijd faUely.

'< But if we confefs our fi^ns^ — ^Here again the
£die emphafis is laid on the word JSnty whilft the
principal circumftance that of confe^iSng our fins is
ilightlj pafled over. But if we confers our fins>
•^that is, if upon a thorough ielf examination, a&
ter having difcovered our fins, we make, an humble
aGknowledgement of them, with a contrite hear»
filled with penitence, and a thorough defire and in*
tention of reforming ; (for all this is implied in the
word confe^, as no other fort of confefllon can be
of any avail towards obuming the confequentiat
grace piomi(ed firom it.) How emphatical therOi*
fore ought this word to be which implies fo muchi

There is another word in this fentence which jb
hurriod over as if it were a mere particle, when in
this place it is a word of ftron^ import, I oDsan the
word iut. It i^ ufmlly read, but if we coafefs our
fins, as if it were a mprc disjunftive particle^
Whereas hft in this fitmtion iiands in the place of
the words, on the other hand^ as m^y be feen by read*
ing the two members of the feotciicc and uniting
them by thofe words.

rf we fay, that we have no fi^, we deceive our-
fe^ves, and the truth'' is not Tn us ; on the othev
handj if we confefs our fins— But

as LECTURE iv:

But — ^therefore flanding in the place of words/
ihould be made emphatical, as all particles are when
they are fubftituted in the place of words*

But, if we confefs our fin^s, he isfuthful and juft
to forgive us our ii^ns — ^Who is faithful and juft to
forgive us our fins ? Could-any one conceive that
it is the great God of the Univerfe, who is here-
fpoken of in fa flight a way !- Throughout the
whole fervice indeed the awful name of God is
treated fo familiarly, and fo little diftinguifhed even
from any particle of three letters, as muft give great
offence to pious ears. It is faid of the great Robert
Boyle, that iie never mentioned the name of God>
even in private difcourfe, without making a percept
tible paufe after it. How much more would this
praddce become thofe who are engaged in the {oU
emn aAof pi^c worfhip,.and how much woukL
it add to the folenmity. of. that worfhip ^ In this
particular text, fome peculiars manner of diftin-^
guifhing the relative, which ftands for the name of
God, is more eflcntially neccffary, becaufe his name
was not before mentioned, and the fentence. cannot
even be made fenfe without it. The pronoun He^
ihould therefore be made very emphatical, and
both be preceded^ and fucceeded by a perceptible
paufe ; at the fame time the eyes fhpuld be devout-*
ly raifed towards heaven^ to explain and enfgrce
b^ the loak« what is de&cient in the expreflion..

But,.

EECTURE IV. 89

But, if wc confefi our fins, ^^e'^ is faithful and juft
to forgive us our fi^ns, &c. Thcfc laft words are
generally as improperly read as the reft. The chief
emphafis is here alfo often placed ^on the word ii^ns,
which not only mirrs the feiJe, but produces a fad
cacaphonia, very difagreeable to the ear, by the
three iucceffive emphafes on the word fins in the
fame fentence; As, **lf we fay \re have no fi^,
we deceive oorfelves, and the truth vis not in us-^
buf if ^t confefs our fi^, He is faithful and juft
to forgive us our fi^ns, &c,'* The want of laying
the proper emphafis on the word confefsy in the
former part of t)ie fentence, produces the fame
mif^ke.in not laying it right on the word forgive
in JiA -^latter, as the one is a confequence of the
««her. If we xonfe^ our fins. He will forgiVc
our fins.

The words, faithful and juji^ by being hurried
over, lofe their whole force and import. When
properly pronounced, there is implied in them by
means of emphafis, that God has entered into a
covenant with man, that upon confefiion and re-
pentance he will forgive him hi&iins \ his faith and
juftice therefore are both engaged in the perform-
ance of this covenant. He'' is faHthfiil, and ju^ft,
to forgiv^e us our fins \ and to clcanfe us from all
iunrig^hteoufaefs*

Hero

^b LECTURE IV;

Here the einphafi& on thetrord uz!righteoi^ad%
h as unfortunately placed, as any of the others.
Tor the emphafis ought to: be ftronger both on the
words cleanie, and all $ the meaning of the (en^
tence beingy That God; upon oar confeffion and
penitence, wBl not only forgive our fins, but like-
wife cleanfe us, not £rc»n unrighteoufnefs oidy, but
from a^Il unfighteoufnefi. He will purify us entire*
ly, fo that no taint of our former fins ihall ranain.

I {hall now read the text in the two ways, firft
in the ufual manner, and afterwards in what I ap«
prehend to be the right way, in order thsfit the dif«*
ference may be made more apparent.

If we fay that we have no fi^n, we deceive our-

feHves, and the truth is not i^n us ; but if we con--

' fefs our fi^ns, he is faithful and yud to forgive us

our fi^ns and to cleanfe us from all unrig^hteouf-*

nefs.

Now in. the other way.

rf we fay that we have no fi^n, we deceive our^-
felves, and the truHh is not in us : But', if we con-
feYs our fins, 'He'' is fciMthful, and ju^ft, toforgiVe
US our fins, and to cleave us, fi-om all unright-
coufnefs.

Had there been proper marks invented for em*-
pkafis, fuch grofs errors could not have been com-
mitted. And many paflages in authors, are on that
account unintelligible to mofl readers. To give a

remarkable

tiEGTURE IV. 01

'iTzJiarkable inftaxice of tkiv in the pby of Mac^
beth. There is a pafTage which, as it has been gen-
erally fjpoken on the ftage, and read by moft peo-
if^e, is dtywnright nonfenfe; which yet in itfelf is a
very fine one, and conveys an idea truly fablime^
^1 mean an expre^on of Macbeth's after he has com-
nmitted the murder, where he fays.

Will afi ^eat NeptuDe's ocean wafh this blood

Clean Mnn my hattdd ? Ko— thefe my haiida w31 rather,

^he multitiidmoiis fea incamardine.

Making the green one, red.
Now the laft line pronounced in that manner, call-
ing the fea,. the green one, makes flat' nbnfenfe of
it. But if we read it with proper emphafis and
ftop, and fay, making the gtreen--— o^ne red ; here
is a moft fubtime idea conveyed, thslt his hands
clipped into the fea, would change the colour of the
whole ocean from green to red ; making the green
— o^ne red. Nor, if we confider the difturbcd
•ftate of his hnagination at that time, will this
thought, hypeirboUcal as it may fefem at firft view,
appeal^ 2^ ail onftatnrd. For it i^ highly probable
that his fancy at that inftant^ f^efented all objedls
about him as of that fangnine hue ; nay, converted
the very atmofphere that fufrrounded him, into a
fta of blood.

Particles whenever diey are cmphaticd change

the meaning of the Words from thiat which belongs

to them Sis pironounced in the common Way, Thus

K if

pa LECTURE IV.

if -we read Ihis line of Othello in the following-
manner.

Put out the light, and then, put out the light ;
it is nonfenfe. But by marking the particle the
in the repetition of the fame words, a new idea and
a new meaning is prefented to the mind.

Put out the light, and then put out the light.
That is, the light of life, put in oppofition by force
of this emphafis, to the light of .the candle.

Or elfe the emphaiis on particles introduces ac-
ceflary ideas not exprefied in the words ; or marks
the degrees of emotion better than it could be done
othcrwife. Of the firft we have an inftance in
thefe lines of Tameriane :

Can*n thou believe fhy proplicH, or what'^s more
That power fupreme that made thee an^d thy prophet.
Under this emphafis on the particle an^d, is couch-
ed the following meaning \ << this prophet whom
diou worfhippeft, and to whom thou payeft the
chief honours, was only a creature like thyfelf,
made by the fame Almighty Being, and fubjeft to
the fame laws.'* Of the other we have an inftance
in this line of Othello :

Perdition catch my foul but I-doiloVe thee*
This is the ufual way of pronouncing that lin^ by
which its peculiar beauty and force is loft. But
when it is repeated thus.

Excellent "wench!

Perdition catch my foul but I dd love thee.;

the

LECTURE IV. 93

tbe emphafis on do, marks the vehemence of his
afie^on, much better than any emphafis on the
▼erb love could. For when the emphafis is laid
en the verb love, doy becomes a mere expletive, be-
ing an unnecefiary fign of the prefent tenfe. But
when an emphafis is placed on doj it becomes an
auxiliary verbj fignkying an aft- of the ftrongeft
affirmation.

Emphafis is of two kinds j fimple or complex*.
Simple, when it ferves only to point out the plain
meaning of any propofition : complex, when be-
fides the meaning, it marks alfo fome affeftion or
emotion of the mind.} or gives a meaning to words^
which they would not have in* their ufijal accepta-*
tion, without fuch emphafis. In the former cafe,
dmphafis is little more than- a ftronger accent with.
but little change of tone; when it is complex, be*
fides force, there is always fuperadded a manifeft
change of tone. Simple emphafis belongs to the
calm and compofed underfiandihg ; compr^bx^ to
the fancy and the pafiibns.

By means of emphafis what pafles in the mind
is often fhewn in a few words, which otherwife.
would require great circumlocution. Of which
take the. following inflance from the play of AIL
for Love.

' the fault was mine

To place tKcc there, whierc only, Thou, could'ft fail.

fl LECTURE IV:

In this fcene Anthony, having found out that f^
friend Dolabella, whom he had employed on a
commif&on to Cleopatra, inftead of diicharging the
thift repofed in him, had iuffered his own paf&on
for that dangerous beauty fo far to prevail, as to^
give up his friend's caule, and urge his own love
fuit to her ; at firfi upbraids Dolabella in the hit^.
tereft terms for his treachery. But afterwardt
when he cools a little, and his z&eQxon for his.
friend begins to revive, he palliates the fault of
Dolabella, and takes die blame to himfelf^ by re«.
fleAing on the bewitching power of CleopatraV
charms, and that he fhould not have exp6fed his
friend to a temptation fo irrefiftible. Now let us fee
how much more there is implied in thok wordsi,
to be conveyed by the force of enq^afis, than-
could be if the words were uttered without it.
f-r>— the fault was miae
To place thcc thirc — i--
To place thee in lb dangerous a fituajtion j to givc;
you an opportynity of a private interview with &>
woman of fuch fafcinating charm§.

■ . "where on^Iy ^

The ilngle fituation in the world in which

Thou —

Thou who wett my bolbm friend-} thou whofe per-
feft honour and fidelity I have approved through-
out our whole courfe of friendfhip onallotjier oc-

cafion^^

...^coul'd'ftiaiL

could'ft

IlECrURE IV: 99

cotrld'ft poffibly Have been found deficient in friend-^
fhip or in duty.

It is this latter ufe of emphafis chiefly that gives*
life and fpirit to difcourfe, and enables it^ to pro-
duce its nobleft effefts. By this it is that we have
it' in our power not only to make others ccmceivB
cfor ideas as we conceive them, but to make them
alio feel them, as we feel them. By the ufe of
Iknple emphafis, truths may be conveyed, and th«
underftanding enlightened, if the hearer wiU be at
the pains of commanding his own attention. But
by the ufe of lixe complex kind, the affections and
paffions are excited, the' fancy agitated, and th^
attention of the hearer- engaged ^ by the delight
which accompanies the very aft of attending. In
the former, the mind is for the moft part paffive j
a ftate in which it cannot long remain, with fatif-t
&^on to itfelf. In the other its adivity is roufed,
and it is confcious of that aftivityj without- any la-i
hour of its: own ; which is- one of the moft agree-
alriie ftates> .that can be conceived, to the- human
mmd^ made up as it is of reftleffixefi and indolence^
'Jlhe mind thus conftituted, grows equally weary of
an inactive ftate, or of much labour of its own j
but delights in being exercifed at the expcnce of
die. labour of others; And this is one of the chief
reaf^As, that dramatic reprefentations have ever held
Ihe firft.rank amoBgft the diverfion&^ of mankind;
K a from

9($ UEcruRE nr.

£rota the effeAs which thofe of the beft kind pro«u
ducCj as defcribed by Horace :

■■ p«^hi8 Inaniter angit,

Irritat, midcet, fsdfi^ tcrronbiM Impiet :

And on the iaoie account Uie pow^« of oratory am
yeckowd wpnongft the nobleft that belong to hu-^
man natttrSf and produAive of the higheft delight
that the mind can receive* Gut as the powers of
oratory camu^ be at all exerted vitliovt the ufe ckT
emphafit \ aor the paiBons of the hearers be rouiV
ed, or their sniiids interefted m what is offered to
themt without the ufe of the complex kind^ tubat
m-pity it ia that fo little care is taken about fo im-^
portant ai^aitkk in reading. For the right ufe o£
which there it neither any method known^ nor
rules laid down in our courfe o£ educationv} which
is^the chief realbn. that public reading is in general
{[^ diiguftingi and public Q>eaking fb unafieAihg..
Whereas nothii^ would be more eafy than to in-^
fbruA children in the moft perfe£b ufe of emphafisi
complex as weQ as funple, at the fiune time that
they learn to read» and to make the &me progreis^
in the one^ as in the other* The yet uncorrupt
ear> and the flexible organs of fpeech, would be ca-
pable of receiving, diAinguifhing, and uttering all
the variety of tones in- their jufl prc^ortions, in
the lame manner as in finging j were there but

preceptors

EECrURE IV: 97.

preceptors equally qualified to teach them by rules, «
examples, and praAice.

With: regard to fimple emphalis, it is certain
that every man, who clearly comprehends nrhat he
iays in private difcoude, never £u1b to lay the em-
phafis on the right word v when. therefiDre he is.
about to read, or repeat the woBds. of others, or his.
own, in publk, let him only refkft on the plac^.
where he would lay ^e emphafy» iii^^fing thefe
wxntis had' proceededv from the immediate fendU
ments of his own mind, in.private^dififourie } and
he will have an infaOlbk rul^ of laying the fimple
cmphafis right, in all (entences^ whole meaning he*
clearly comprehend)^; This rule is fo obvious, and^
fb eafy to be obierved^ that it is aftonifliing to find
«very where, both in reiidihg and reciting, fiich an
abuie or negleA of emphafis. But the cauft of nhis
is cafily explained* Tn teaching to read by the
eye, mafters ihftru£)r pupils in the ufe of fuch marks
as are prefcnted to the eye; now as there are n&
^fible figns but letters and flops, and as the wonb^
are diftinguifbed from each other, only by a greater
diftance between Attn than between the letters
which^ compofe them } and the different members
<xf fentences, by little crodked figures ; the eye has
no afiiflance in the two- moib important parts of
reading, accent and emphafis; and therefore in
thoie it isj that the- chief blunders ase commiitedL

It

98 EECTURE TVl

k is miCj wHoever is^old that he is always t6 pro^<
noiince his words ezafUy with the fame accent
diat'he ipeaks them,- provided he be mafter of the
right pronunciation, need not have any vifibile
mark to point out the ^ctccent ; but even this eafy
nde is ib feldom'kiCttlcated9.,tlut' there are few free
fipom errors in this refpeft^ eipecially when they
attempt to read^or^recite any thing with more than
uiiial folemnity and^ppmp*. Btit with reipeA to
cm^^afis, it is impcffible to lay it right, unlefs a
man firft has clearly contprehended^fhe meaning of
what, he is about to read:^ and as this is difficult to
be doneat^fi^^, after long practice and experience,
even by the beft seaders ^ nay, as it is impoffible
fer them to do it -without £}me errors, and never
with the fame degree of accuracy, as after a perufal
ofr what, they are torread aloud, how much lefs are
we to expert it from fuch as^are learners, even un<*
derthe beft inftru^on; but leaft of all from thofe
who are taught in fuch a method, as does not
naake dus a necefiary part of .reading* I .appeal to
the experience of mankind, whether* in general,
any. thing '.elfe be taught^ but the pronunciation of
words and obiervation of.th^ fto|>s) and^whether
any one, who cztt readily give utterance to all
words > offered to the eye, and put them together,
or feparate-them, accordingly as the flops direfi^
does not think himfelf qualified to ceaa any thing

aloud

EECTURE TV: 9^

atoud at fig^, ibas roadily to unddrtake it in the:*
hearing of any perfbns when called upon ? All this,
ariies £rom a miftake, which men natoraUy enough
fell into, who judge of language only in its written
ftate ; that fentences are irfhioUy compofed of words,
and flops, becaufe there axe no other vifible marks,
ofiered to the ^e; but the man who ccmfiders-.
language in its primal^ and^noUeft ftate, as ofiered
-to the car, will find that, the very, life and foul of
fpeech, confifts in what is utterly unnoticed in writ*,
ing, in accent and emphasis : and as the man wha*
attempts to pronounce words, without obfcrvatioa;
of accent, really docs not utter words, but fylla-
bles } fo the man who attempts to pronounce feur
tcnces, without, emphafis, really docs not utt^fcn-.
tences, but wor<k. So that in lpeech» woi^ are
the body $ paufes and ftops give it fliape and^form^
and di^nguifhthe fevcFal parts of the body } but
accent and emphafis are the life, blood, said fou!,.
which put it in motion, and give it power to aft.
And as nothing can be more tedious to the ear, of-
irkfome to the mind, than a long fiiccef&on of
mere lifelefi words, we need hot wonder that our
public rcadeqs and lecitcre, fo inftruftpd, are either
fo little attended to, ou, heard with. di%uft.

I would tlierefore recoixunend it to every onc^,
who has any thing to read or recite ii\ public, to,
^:%ft 1(1. wha^.n^umer. and with what kind xxf em^

j)hafi5,^

157405

loo LECTURE IV.

phafis, he would point out the meaning, if he were
to deliver thofe words, as proceeding from the im*
mediate fentiments of his own mind» With this
point in view, he cannot fail of finding out the
words, on which^ in that cafe, he would lay the
emphafis. Let him therefore give, a particular mark
to thofe words, foch as ©nc of tiie accents ufed in
Greek ; that whenever he reads, he may be put in
mind of laying a due ftrefs on them, by thofe vifi*-
ble marks ; otherwife he will be apti from habit,*
to fall into his ufual manner of reading. And in
every recital, when the words are well fixed in the
memory, let the chief article of attention be> to lay
the fixefs upon thofe words only, which he had be^
fore fo marked. And this I take to be the fureft
smd beft way of countera£Hng bad habits^ arifing
fiom the very defe£tive method, in which we are
taught and praftifedia the manner, of. reading aloud
and reciting*

If it be faid, thatthoHgh in reading of reciting*
the works of others, men may be apt to make mit
takes in the article of emphafis, yet when they dC'-
Ever compofitions of their, own, or fpeak their ex-*
lemporaneous fentiments in public, it is impofiible
they can be guilty of any fudh error^ L believe up*
oo examination the matter of fa£b would be found
ftrongly againft this opinion. For I have known-
fiew aothcHSy aad.many infiances have fallen in xa^

waj^

LECTURE IV. »i

xray, who did not read their own compofitions ex-
aiUy in the fame way as they would thofe of any
other writer j excepting perhaps their doing it with
more emotion, and thereby rendering any abfurdi-
ty in their manner the more glaring. And with
refpeft to extemporaneous Speaking in public, I
have not known many inftances in my life in which
the artificial manner, got from a bad habit of read-
ing, or imitations of others, has not fupplanted the
natural manner of fpeaking j and even in the beft,
their delivery has in many parts been much afieA-
ed {>y it. The man .is apt .to harangue his fellow
citizens^ much in the fame way, as the boy was
accuftomed to recite before his fchool-fellows } un-
lets where nature breaks through the force of hab-
it, when the heart of the fpeaker is much engaged^
in his fubjeA, and when he .deUvers himfelf whol-
ly from £eeling. i have known fome inftances of
this kind in reciting alio on tbe ftag^, where the
fame performers, who in the uniinpaflioned and
. declamatory paf&ges of their charafters, were gen-
erally wrong in laying the emphafis ; whenever
they entered into .the more animated parts, and
the paffion which they reprefented took full poll
feffion of them, were always right in that article.
If the life ^f the £mple emphafis, which has fo
plain, general, and certain a rule to point it out, be
jet fo miftaken, what Ihall we fay to that of the

complex

'.wox rECTURE W,

eompkx innd y which is infinitely more cditiiA^
henfive, intricate^ and difficult ; and yet is utterly
without either rules or exaioples, to point otit its
^ttruc ufc ? Though this is one of the moft import
tant branches of delivety, fince the power of ani<>
mating and aflfe£Hng the hearars, depends much
\ipon it. As words are marks of ideas, fo are tones
t)f energies and atfbftions of the mind ; and as wie
cannot make ksiown our ideas to othet^s, without a
Sufficient number ef wordJs, to mark, not only their
diffiarencc. in grofe from each other, but alfo the
nicer diftinftions of degrees in the fame idea> to*
gether with their. various relatioftis 5 fi> cannot we
■manifcfl: or commuiucate to others the feveral feel-
ings of the mind, in concaving aaid uttering kn
ideas, and the various proportions of tho&fedingd,
without a foitable numSber^ and: equally regular and
nice diftin£)ion of tones. But here art. has entire-
ly deferted us, and left us to guide ourfdves as well
as we can. And indeed all her es&ertions feemf to
have been confined within the bounds of written
language, where fee has tie faithlal eye to guide
ToKx by fiire and fixed marks ;; nor has ihe, hither^
to amongft us, dared to make any excui^ohs into
the mcMre extenfive and nobler provinces of fpoken
tanguage, the ways through which are to be found
only by the information of the uncertain ear, which
if not well inftru6ted,. and eady cukivated, muft

ever

1,ECTUR£ IV. to}

'Cvfcr ptore a falfe guide. Hence it cdmes to pafs,
^hat words, as marks of our ideas, are tolerably well
regulated, and reduced to ofrder ; whilft tones, the
marks of our feelings, are left wholly t6 chance.
The natural confeqiience of \vhich has besen that
many difcourfes, gbod in thcttifelves, are pronoun-
•ced without affefting the hearers 5 and that in a
nation abounding in good writers, a good fpeaker
is a prodigy. But of this t fhall have occafion to
Ipeak more ^ large under the head oJ* Tones. At
prefent I fhall content myfdf with clofing this
head, by laying down thie only rule, which appears
to me to be ot ztxy coniiderabte benefit in praftice,
towards making the beft ufc that can be, as things
are now circumftanced, of the complex emphafls.
And that is dire£Hy the fame rule before laid down
with regard to the fimple einphafls j that every 6ne
fliould content himfelf with the ufe of thofe tctoes
only that he is habituated to in fpeech, and to give
none other to eriiphafis, but what he woidd do to
the fame words in difcourfe. Thus whatever he
Utters will be d6ne w-ith eafe, ani aj^ear natural ;
whftreas if he endeavours at any tones, to which
he is not acctiftomed, either from fancy, or imita-
tion of others, it will be done with difficulty, and
•carry with it evident marks of atfeftation and ai't,
which are ever difgufting to the hearer, and i^i^vei:
-fiiil to defeat the end of the 4>eaker.

i LECTURE

LECTURE V^

OF PAUSES, OR STOPS.

X HE next head of wfakh I aan to treat,
is that of Paufes, or Stops,

Stops, or paufes, are a total cellation of found
during a perceptible, and in numerous compofi-
tions, a meafurabie fpace of time. The ufe of
thefe is equally neceflary to the ipeaker, and to the
hearer. To the fpeaker, that he may take breath,
without which he cannot proceed far in delivery 5
and that he may relieve the organs of fpeech, by
thefe temporary refts, which otherwife would be
foon tired by continued and uninterrupted aftion :
to the hearer, that the ear alfo may be relieved
from the fatigue, which it would otherwife endure
from a continuity of found ; and that the under-
fianding may have fufficient time to mark the dif-
tindlion of fentences, and their feveral members.
Thefe paufes being thus neceflary and ufeful, be-
come ornamental alfo in verfe, when reduced to

exaA

LECTURE V. . 105

exaA proportions of time, in the fame way as in
muiic.

But as in common difcourfe, and in moft com-
portions in profe, there is no neccfEty to obferve
fuch nice proportion of paufes, they have, befides
their duration, marks of a furer kind annexed to
them, to point out their nature ; and thefe are,
certain notes of the voice,, which declare of wliat
' kind the paufes are, at the inftant they are made ;
and inform the mind vihzt it is ta expcdlfrom
them ; whether the fenfe is ftill to be continued in
the fame fcntence ; whether the fucceeding one is
to be the laft member of the fentence ; whether
more are tdcnfuej or whether the fentence be
clofed, and a new one is to begin.

The great utility of this prafticc will appear,
when we confider how necefTary it is that the hear-
er fhoutd be' able to- accompany die fpeaker in all
that he utters, fo as fully to comprehend his mean-*
mg 'j and therefore he ihould be ipared the trouble
of attending to any thing elfe, but his meanings
Now if paufes- had no other mark of diflin^on,
but the time of their durati<»i,,it is evident that not
only the fpeaker, mufl always be exceedingly nice,
in obferving the exaftefl proportion of time, with
regard to the different paufes, (a thing fcarce jM-ac-
ticable in irregular difcourfe). but the hearer alfo,
vmfl employ his whole attention, during thofe

paufes.

too UIXJIUKJU V.

paufest in meafuring their exz£k durationi without^
which he muft miftake their nature } a thifig equalise
impra^cable^ or which if attempted, muft by this
diftraAion of the attention, do great injury to the
principal point in view, a full conception of the
meaning. Whereas, when the nature or kind of
paufe, is declared at its beginning, by the fure mark
of a note or tone of the voice, it matters not afteri^
wards to the hearer, whether the Ipeaker obferves.
any due proportion of time or not ^ for he is at:
that inftant prepared to accompany, him, whenevp^
he pleafes to fet out; whether it be fiiddenjy, or
whether he choofes to delay longer thanisneqeffary*.
For he knows by the tone what the paufe ihould
be, whether the fpeaker obferves the due propor*
lion of time or no^.

It h true in poetical' compcfitions, the ikilful ear -
will not be fatisfied,, without a due obfervation of
the proporti<Hi> of paufes, as well as founds ; but it
Is becauie in that cafe, it h^s a right. to be pleafed:
itielf, at the fame time that it is the inftrument of^
conveying the meaning to the underftanding, and.
its difguft ariibs from the difappointment. But the '
interefts of the underftanding receive no farther
prejjudice, the notes ov tones ftill proving fiire guides
to the fenfe, than what may arife from want of at-
tentign, oQqafioned hy fuch di%uft of ihc ear,

8i*

LECTURE r. ro7

But in all fpeeches and harangues that are more*
Ibofe, and free from the fetters of meafure, this cir-
eumftance has given the ipeaker fuch a power over
the paufes^ as> judicioufly ufed, may contribute
much to the main point in view, that of ftrpngly
inculcating, his meaning. For by this means, he
may always proportion his paufes to the importance
of the fenfe, and not merely to the grammatical
ftrufture of words in ientences, making Bke paufes
to all of like ftnifture, without diftin^ion. For in*
fiance, if there be any propofition or fentiment
which he would enforce more ftrongly than die
reft, he may either precede it by a longer pauie
than ufual, which will roufe attention, and give it
the more weight when it is delivered ; or he may
make a longer paufe after it is clbfed, which will
give time for the mind to ruminate upon it, and let
it fink deeper into it by fuch reflection ; or accord-
ing to the importance of the point, he may do both.
He may go ftill farther, and make a paufe before
fome very emphatical word, where neither the fenfe
nor common ufage would admit of any; but this
liberty, is to be ufed with great caution. For as
fuch paufes excite uncommon attention, and of
courfe raife expe^ation^ if the importance of the
matter be not fully anlwerable to fuch expe<ftation,
k will occafion difappointment and difguft. This
libertjr therefore is to be feldom taken, and never
h 2^ but

io8 LECTURE: V.

but where Ibmcthing extraordihary and new is op
fered to the mind> which is likely to be attended.
with an agreeable fur|Mrifcw For patrfcs of this fort
Jmt the nund. into a ftate of fufpenfe, which is ever
attended with an uneafy fenfatio&> and for which it
will always cxpedl to have compenfatibn made, by
a greater degree of pleafiire, than it otherwift coulcC
have had.

But iir the ufe of the tones which mark the paui^
cs, great care muft betaken to avoid thofe two ar-
tificial tones^ with which every one is taught to
read ^ the bad eflfefts of which I need not now ex-
patiate, on, having fliewn them at large in my firft
ledhire. And as this is one ofthe chief fources of
the dMgnfting monotony, and unnatural manner of
delivery, which is fo generally complained of in our
public readers and fpcakers, too much pains cannot
be taken to get the better of it. The truth is, that
the tones which mark t^e paufes in fpeaking, have
an infinite variety, accordingto the matter of the
difcourfe^ and difpofitibn of mind in the fpeaker ^
whereas thofe m reading, as I fhewed before, are
reduced to two. I would therefore ^recommend it
to every perfon who has any thing to deliver in»
public, to make ufe of the fiime rule for his guide
with regard to the tones belonging to the ftops, af
was before laid down with regard to thofe apper-
taining to the complex emphaiis, and for the fame

reafons j

EECTUKE V; nr

realbns j becaufe he is mailer of theft, he will dor
it with eaft j his delivery will appear natural, and*
free from all marks of afiWhtioni.

By means of thefe tones that mark the panfts^
I'eadors may at. any time, when they find it nece&
&ry, take breath even at the fmaUeft paufe, with-
out prejudice to the fenfe'; as Ac tone fufficiently-
marks die nature of. the paufe, without reference
to time : but in this^ care is to be taken by the
fyeakcTf that the true tone Be given to the paufe at
the time it is made, for thus the hearer will have
notice that the fentence is not clofed^ and his at-
tention is only fufpended, without perplexing his
underftandihg.. And he may have a furc rule for
tiiing the true tone, by giving exafliy die fame one
that he would, were he to proceed more quickly to
the next member of th« fentencei and were not to
make a longer fbop than, ordinary. The want of
knowing this cicumftance, or rather the falfe rule
by which people arc ihflarufted, that the breath is
never to be drawn but when there is a fall flop or
clofe of the fenfe, has made it exceedingly difficult
to many to utter long ftntences, and impoffible to
thoft who are fhort winded; They are therefore
either apt to run therofelves entirely out of breath,
(which is always diiagreeable^ deftpoyihg all force
and grace) and not to flop till neceffiity obliges
them to it from failwe of breath j which is tbere^.

fore

fore likely to happen in improper places : or elfS
they fubdiiddc the long fentence into as many diC-
tindl fentences, as they make time$ of breathing*
to the utter confufion of the fenfCi. For as they
have been taught not to take breath, but when they
make a full flop, they habkually ufe the tone of a
fiill flop whenever they take breathe It is of as
much importance to a fpeaker, that he fhould have
at all times a fufficient command of breath, as that
an organ fhould be fupplied with aproper quantity
of air; nothing. therefore can be of more moment
to him, than the praftice of the rule which I have
laid down, as it will' enable all who do not labour
under fame great, infirmity in point of breathing,
to go through the longeft^^ periods, without any
perceptil)le defeft of that. kind. .

Ti ere is no article in reading more difficull- than
that oi obferving a due proportion of flops, occa-
fioned ty the very erroneous and inaccurate man-
ner^' in which they are marked by printers and
writers. Stopping, like Ipelling, has at diffibrent
periods oi time, and by diiSerent perfons, beenxronr
fidered in a. great meafure -as arbitrary, and. has had
its differjcnt fafhions •, and thefe fafhions. have -been
fpread, and. become general, by being adopted by
the printers, mod in vogue. The art of punfltuation
is of modern invention, and probably was not
known, previous to the difcovery of printing, at

leaft

.ui:. V X %j i\Cs V .

feaft wc are fure that the ancients made not any
ufe of flops in dieic: writing.. A plain proof of
what I aflerted in my firft leilure, that the art of
« writing aniongfl, the ancients, was not calculated for
the ufe we put it to, of reading works aloud. to au-,
ditors, but only to enable the fpeaker to get the
words by rote, in order; that he might incite them,
from memory. And happy had it been for, the ftate
of modern elocution, that the art hadftiU remain-^
ed unknown ; for then every oqq' who had anjr
thing to deliver in puUicj^ muft, like the ancients^
have, been obliged eithar to^ recite it without book, .
Qr apf^y himfelf clpfely tp ftudy the meaning oC
what he had to read, fb as to be able to deliver it
properly. Nor fhould we then have had thofe read^
big tones, before o^^ntioned, which hav^. been aiH
ftexed to the fto^xs,; nor thofe fal& paufjbi and refts
e( the voice, which have been introduced by falfo
punctuation; but every one, having no rules to
mifguide hini,' would: of courfe. follow the obvious
one, that of reading word^ a& he would fpeak them«
It is evident that to mark the flops properly in
writing, every penccptible ceflation of ifbund in the
voice ought' to have a mark j but this i^ far from,
being the cafe in the prefentpraftice of punfhiation,
continual inflances occurring, where the voice ought
to be fufpendedj without any comma appearing y^
;p)4J^ft.?^^^3!..a$ .frequent, where commas are put

down:

down in places where there ought to be no fufpcn*
fion of the voice. The truth is, the modem art
of punAuation was not taken from the art of fpeak-
ing, which was never ftudied by the moderns, but
was in a great meafure regubited by the rules of
grammar v that is, certain parts of fpeech are kept
together, and others divided by ftops, according
to their grammatical ccmftruftion, often widiout
reference to the paufes ufed in difcourfe* And the
only general rule by which paufes can be regulated^
has been either unknown, or unattended to ; which
is, that paufes in general depend upon emphafis»
I have already fhewn that words are fufficiently
diftinguiihed from each other by accent ; but to
point out their meaning when, ranged in fentences^
emphafis and paufes are neceflary. Accent is the
link which cozmeAs fyllables together, and forma
them into, words \. emphafis is the link, which con-
neAs words together, and forms them into mem-
bers of fentences ; but that there may be namiftake
to which emphafis the words belong, at.th&end o£
every fuch member of a fentence these ought to be
a perceptible paufe. If it be aiked why a paufe
fliould. be any more neceflary to emphafis than to-
accent^ or why emphafis alone wilLnot fufllcient-
ly diftinguifh the members of fentences . without
paufes, as accent does words from each: other ; the
•nlko: is.obviousa that we. are pre-acq^iiainted with.

thft

LECTURE Y. 113

the (bunds of 4he words, and cannot miftake theni
when diftinflly pronounced, however rapidly ; bu(
we are not pre-acquainted with the meaning of
fentences, which .muft be pointed out to us by the
fpeaker ; and as this can only be done by evidently
fliewing what words belong to the emphatic one,
unlefs we make a paufe at the end of the laft word
belonging to the farmer emphatic one, we fliall not
be able to know at all times whether the interme-
diate words between two emphatic ones, appertain
to the former or the latter 5 which muft breed a
perpetual confiifion in the fenfe. This will be fuf-
ficiently illuftrated by two of the examples givtn
in my former upon emphaiis : for in the line quot-
ed from Macbeth, had they placed a comma at the
end of the word green, as thus ;

Making the green, one red-;
the fenfe could not have been miftaken. And had
they placed three commas in the line quoted from
All for Love, as thus^

To place thee there, where only, thou, could*ft fail ;
the full import of the paflage would have been at
once perceived. Whoever therefore has a mind to
read any piece correftly, muft ftop according to this
rule. Let him firft find out and mark each em-
phatic word ; then let him examine what number
of words belong to that emphatic one, and at the
Jafl: of thofe let him place a comma, or fuch other

ftop

1T4 XECT0RE V.

ftop as die fenfe requires. The tones appertaining
to thefe paCifes> and the time taken up in them
muft be left to his 4>wn Judgment $ and his beft
^nile will be to refleA what 'ton» he would ufe, and
what time he would Jufpoid his voice, were he to
l^peak them as ids own immediate fentiments. And
whoever reads any thing at tight, wonld do -well to
pay as little regard to the ftops as poffible, and be
^^hiefly attentive to the meaaing of the words.

OF THE PITCH AND MANAGEMENT Ot
THE VOICE.

The next points I am to treat of, are the pitch
and management of the voice ; SQ'ticle^ of the ut*>
•moil importance to give due force and proportion
to all the others. To the being heard with fatit
faftion, it is nectary that the speaker fliould de-
liver hknfelf with eafe. But if he does not know
how to pitch his voice property, he cSn never hav€
the due management of it ; and his utterance wiU
he painful to hiinfelf, and irldbme to his hearers.

Every fpeaker who is not corrupted by bad hab*
it, has three pitches in his voice, the high, low, and
jniddle pitch. The middle pitch is that which is
ufed in ordinary difcourfe, from which he either
xifes or fails, according as the matter of his dif-
courfe, or emotions of his mind require. This
«uddle pitch therefore is what ought to be gencr*

^lly

LECTURfi V> iij

filly uied, ibr two reafons ; i^ft, becaufe Ae m-gans
of the voice are fitonger, and more pUable in this
rpitch, from coiiftant ti£: : and lecondfy, becauie it
is more eafy to rife or Ml from that pitch, to high
or low, with regular proportioiK

Moft perfons, through want Cff fkiU and pradice,
when they tiKiul or {peak in puMic, £aU into one of
the extremes. Either through timidity and diffi*
dence they life the low pitch, in which ttqr arc not
heard at all, of with fo much trouble to the liflen-
cr, as foon to weary attention : or if they aim at
avoiding this fault, they run into the high pitch ;
which is productive of coniei^^Kes equally bad.
The organs of the voice, in this fimufual pitch, are
^bon wearied, and langOur and hoarlenefs eniue.
And as the reafon for contiiitdng it^ will be equally
fh-ong during the whole difccmrfe, as for the firfl
fetting out in it, the ipeaker muft lofe all the bene>-
fits which arjie from variety, and £dl into a dif^
.^fting monotoiny.

The prevalence of this prafiace arifes from a
common miftake in thofe who fpeak for the firft
time in a large room, and before a numa:x)us audi-
tory. They conclude it impoffible that they iliould
be heard in cheir ccrfnmon pitch of voice, and there-
fore change it to a higher. Thus they confound
two very diftinA things, making high and low, the
fame with loiid and fbft. Loud and foft in fpeak-
M ing.

ii6 LECTURED.

ing, is like -the forte znd piano in mufic, it only re-
fers to the different degrees of force ufed in the
fume key ; whereas high and low imply .a change
of key. A man may fpeak louder or fofter in the
fame key ; when he fpeaks Irigher or lower, he
changes his key. So that the bufinefs of every one
is to proportion the force or loudnefe of voice, to
the room, and number of his auditory, in its ufoal
pitch. If it be larger than ordinary, he is to fpeak
louder, not higher \ in his ufual key, not in a new
one. And whoever neglefts this, will never be
able to manage his voice with eafe ^to himfelf, or
•pleafure to his hearers.

It is evident that he who begins in the high
pitch, on a fuppofition that he could not otherwifc
be heard, muft for the fame reafon continue in that
pitch throughout. And they who fet out under
this delufion are apt to continue in it all their
lives, having but little chance of being informed of
their error. So that whenever they deliver any
thing in public they of courfe fall into this unnat-
ural key.

This error is no where more oMervable than in
the ufual manner of reading Divine Service. The
unnatural pitch of voice, is the firft thing that
llrikes every judidous ear, in the firft fentence the
clergyman utters, which is continued throughout j
ve 1 heard many in my life who read the

Service

LECTURE V. 117

Semce in their own proper pitch. The quantity
of found, n^ceflary to fill even a large fpace, i9
much fmaller than is generally imagined ; andta
Ae being well heard, and clearly underflood, a
good and diflinA articulation contributes more^
than power of voice. Pofleiled o£ that, a man
with a weak voice,, has infinite advantages overthe
ftrongeft without it. If the voice be weak, and the
articulation good, the attention and filence of the
auditory will be proportionally greater, that they
may not mifs- any thing that is faid j whereas they
are under no fuch apprehenlions from a loud ipeak-^
er. He who delivers himfelf in a moderate pitch,
whenever his fubjeft demands that he fhould rife
to a higher or fink to a lower, does it with eafe and
due proportfon 5 and produces the effevSts which arc
to be expeAed from fuch change, and agreeable
variety. Whilfl he who takes a high pitch, cannot
rife upon occafion without running into difcord^
nor fink with any rule of proportion to guide him^
They, who ttt avoid this fault, run into the oppo^
fite extreme, and begin in a lower pitch than is
natural to them) err indeed of the fafer fide, but
are equally diflant firom the point of truth. It i9
true it is more eafy to rife gradually and propor-»
tionally, than to defcend ; but whilfl they remain
in thit key. It will appear equally unnatura!^ and
moj^lan^u'd than the other. And they will be

very ]

ii8 LECTURE V.

▼erf apt through the hoij of th^ difcourie^ t©
run chiefly into that key, in which ttey had fet.
out. The true, fafe, and fare nd<e (unl^fs upon ex«^
traordinary occafions indeed) is always to begin in.
your ufual pitch of ^peaking; if that fhould not
prove ftron^ enough, flrengthen it by practice ; if;
there be fuch a natural weaknefs in the organs, as.
that you cannot be heard in public afiemblies ia
that pitch, you had better give ova? all thoughts o£
appearing in them ; or if yqur profefli^n obliges
you to it, you muft give up all hopes of fpeaking
gracefully and agreeably, or even intelligibly. For-
he who is obliged to ftr^in his voice, in order to be
heard, will fcarce articulate y^elL The office ofT
^iculation is of a very delicate nature, and re-.
quires that the organs which perform it, ihpuld not
be difturbed, or fuffer any violence j ^^hich muA.
always be the cafe when the Vjoice is.pufhed out
upon them with iHiaMnmon force^ I have known,
inflances of perfons with very ftrong voices, of
whom in their ut^noft ex^tioas of them, it has
been \etj juftly obfervcd, that there was no hear- .
ing what they faid, they fpoke fp loud$ for the
torrent of the voitc, Irft neither tilOie or power in,
the organs, to fliape the words properly, but bore
away with it cluftered a^d uncouth. ipafles of abor-^
tivc f^Uabte..

' Tbfk

tECTURE V. rtp

TKe beff rale for a Ipcaker to obilerre is, nc^-er
to utter a greater quantity of voice, than he cart
afford without pain to himfelf, or any extraordina-
ry effort. Whilft hte dbes this, the other organs of
Ipeech wiff be. at liberty to discharge their feveral
offices with eafe ; and fie will always have his voice
under command. But whenever he tranlgreflcs
thefe bounds, he gives up the reins, and has no
longer any management of it: Aiid it will ever be
the fafeft way too^to keep within his compafe, rath-
er than go at any time to the utmoft extent of it ;.
which is a dangerous experiment, and never juftr-*
liable but upon fome extraordinary emotfon. For
even in that cafe, the tranfgrefling the limits in the
leaft, (difficult' as the talk* is for a Ipeaker to keep
within bounds, when under the influence of fuch
emotion) will '■ fcarce be- pardoned : for, asthe ju-
dicious Shakelpear has well obferved in his inftruc-
tions to the player, " Ii^the verytotTent^ tempeji^ and
^ns I may fayy whirlwind of your pafftom^ you mufl ac--
^^ quire and beget a ' temper taice that may give it fmosth-'
*^nefs.** For* the fame reafdn alfo, every fpeaker
Ihould take care in the management of the breath,
always to get a frefli fupply before he feels' any
want of it 5 for Avhilft he has 4bme to fjSarc, he re-
cruits it with fuch cafe, that -his htarers are not at
all fehlible of his doing it. Whereas if he wait^
till»he is put in mind of it 'by -any degree of uneali-
U2 ncfs.

I20 LECTUHE V.

nefi, he not only docs it with mof e difiTcuIty to^
himfelfy but he may depend upon it that his hear-i-
ers alio have felt his uneafiaefi^ and been feniible
of his difficulty. For fi> ftrong is the fympathy be*
tween the organs of fpeech^ and thofe <^ liearing„
iStxzt the leaft tineaiinefi in the^ one, is immediatelj
perceived by the other.

I fliall clofe my obfervations on thfs head with
twa rules i. one, for giving ftrength and power to^
the voice in its natural i^tch. The others for ad-
jufting the proper quantity ot- degree of IpudneS
in the v<Mce^ propoxtioned to the fize of the rx>on»
and the number of the auditory. The firft rale
for ftrengthenihg the voice, is this t. any onej whop
through habit, has fallen into a weak utterance^,
cannot hope fnddenly to change it ; he muft do it
by degrees and ccxiftant praftice. I woidd there-
fore recommend it to him, that he fhoidd daily ex-
ercife himfelf in reading, or repeating mthe hear-
ing of a friend ; and that too in a large room. At
firft his friend fhoidd ftandi at fiich a diftance only,
as the fpeaker can eafily reach, in his ufual man-
ner of delivering himfelf. Afterwards let him grad-
ually increafe his diftance, and the fpeafcer will in
the feme gradual proportion increafe the force of
the voice ; for the method of increafing by degrees
is eafy in this as in every thing elfe, when fudden
tranfitions are impnwaicable i and every new acqui-

fition

tEcruRE t; ITT

fftion of po^ro*) enables yea the better^to 'go on to
die next degice.^. When be fhall have thus got ta-
that diftance, beyond which the fpeaker cannot be
heard widiout ftraining» and Ibscmg his ▼oice^' there^
let him ftop; andiet.that be the oTud place of his
fbndkig to hear the moft part of what is declaim*-
ed ; becaufe, when the fpeaker is aUe by practice
to manage his voice in that extent^ he will certain*-
fy beaUe tacommand it in all the inferior de-
grees. Though for the more gradual unfolding of
Aeorgans, and regular incrcafe of the quantity of'
the voicej k- will be sdways right for the hearer to -
begin at each day's excrcife with the fhortcft'diP
tance, and nancafc it' by degrees till he arrives at
the utmoft; fn which iituation, for the reafon be-
fore affigned, the diief part of the exercife ought
ta be performed*

The (econd. rule for giving a proper degree of
loudneis, or ifluihg a fufficient quantity of voice
proportioned to the room and^ the audience, whicK
is commonly called pitching the voice, ^ is this : let
the fpeaker, after having looked round the z&mt^
bly, fix his eyes on that part of his auditory which
b farthefi from him, and he will mechanically en-
deavour to pitch his voice fo as that it may reach
them. This is what we conftantly practice in com-
mon difcourfe> for we always proporticm the ksud-
nefs or foftneis of v<Mce| to the dUtence of the per^

fon

rr2 EECTITKEVI

tan to i?hom we arc fpcaking. When the Ipeater-
therefore IhaU have fixed his eyetipon the xnofb
diftant part of his audience; hitf bu^efs is to con-^
fider himielf as addreffing his difcourft to foine one
ainongft diem^ in fdch a manner as that he may be
heard by him, and if the pcrfon be not beyond the
reach of his voice, he will not fail to cffcft it. But
fiin he is to take care not to change his ufixal pitch-
in order to do this, but only to add iforce or de-(
grees of loudnefs in proportion ' to- the diftance*
This is what we do in life when .we ? call after.- anyv
perfon to come back ; .we add. loudnefs to our .voice
according to the diAancche has got from us, but!
we never, change the key, or b&wi, tiU we find that
he has got fo far, as that his ear xannot be reached
by the natural pitch of our voice. He therefore
who fets out in a higher key than is .natural to
him,: in order that he may be heard by the mofl
diftant>.may be juftly iaid to bawl out his di£courfe,
bbt not to deliver it. .

There is another :material dbrcumftance to- be at-
tended to> in pitching the voice, which arifes from
the conftruftion . of., the room in which yoivare to
fpeak; fome being admirably • contrived for the
purpofe of fpeaking, and others quite the contrary.
Of coorfe m the former, a much fmaller rquantity
of voice will do, than in the latter. The firft ob-
jeA of every i|)!eaker| CHaght;tQ.be to find out

whether

lECrURE V. xTj

whether his voice can SI the room. or not v and
afterwards to proportion the quantity of it aK:cord«. .
tngly. By filling a room with* the voice, is meantt
when there is fueh a quantity of it utteped, as not
«nly will reach the extremities, but return alfo ta^
the fpeaken And a room may be faid to be wdl'
conftru^d for fpeaking» when this is efiefbed by a^
moderate exertion of a' common voice* The two<^
extremes are, when either a room through its fize-
€T ill conftru^oni will admit of no reverberation^
or when, the reverberatioa is made by an echo. I
ihall endeavour to find out what ts beft to be done
in the three cafes. In the firft cafe, when the-
fpeaker can fiU the room with hxi voioe, his bufi*
nefs is to find out what quantity will be fufficient
to do it \ that he may neither unneceSariiy waftc
his voice fay throwing out too much, or diminiih>
his power by u£^g too^. littk ; but that he may
have a perfoft command and management of it, ac-^
cording to the difierent degrees of exertion, which
may be rcqtiifed'iii'the dijBS^mt parts of his di£i
coufffe. The beft way of finding this out, will be,
to begin with a moderate quantity of voice, and to
ipcreaf^ it graduail^ri tiQ the i^a)i:er findb out the
degree of toudnefs that is neceflSiry to fill the room; .
which will be difcovered to hifa.by the return of ~
the found to his own ear, as foon as he has arrived.
as the proper pitf h». With this degree or quantity-
^ ofr

1X4 LECTURE V;

of Toice he is to deliver all the more forcible, fyi^
ritedi and impaffioned parts of his difcourfe. Fop
diough he may be diltinSly heard with a fmaller
exertion, yet it will' not be in a manner fo fatisfac-^
tory to the hearer; Every fpeakcr therefore in ar
well conftruded room, which is not too large for
his powers, may have an infallible critericm by
which to judge of that pointy as he may be fure
fixat he has £Ued the ears ofhis auditory, when he
has filled the- room; and he may certainly know
when he has filled the room, by the return of hisr
voice to hit own earv This is^ one of the moft
valuable pieces of management that a public fpeak-
er can poileis, and of which, with due attention/
and a little prance, he may.eafily become' mafter.
This rule is on a fuppofition that the room is f6
ionftruded as to return the found gently land equa*
Uy, without any perceptible echo.

But in the fecond cafe where the. found is fud-
denly reverberated by an echc^ the difficulty to the
ipeaker is much increafed^ Nothing is more s^
to miilead the unwary and.unikilftd fpeakcr, than
this ctrcumftance in a room ; for aa his voice founds
much louder tOihimfelf on that account, he is apt
to conclude that he is thebettercheardj whereas
the very thing which adds to the loudhefs, deftroys
articulation and diftin£lion of utterance, which are'
ciflentiaUy.nece^ry to. the being underftood.. Foe

the.

LECTURE V. 12^

the quick and fudden reverberation of the founda
which have been uttered, makes fuch a jumble w^
thofe which' are uttering, that the whole appears a
confufed babble of fomething like words indeed^
but utterly unintelligible. In the former <:afe> when
the room is well conftruftcd for fpeaking, the re-
turn of the voice is made in a moderate and equa-
ble manner ; in ^the latter, it rebounds like a ten-
nis-ball. In the .£rfl cafe, the undulation of found
refembles the circles made -in a rfmooth water by
the gentle dropping in of a pebble, where aD grad-
ually increafe in their circumference, and are regu-
lar in their figures : the other .refembles the mo-
tion of the water when a flone is dafhed violently
into it, where all is irregular and confufed. No-
thing canfhew the ignorance which prevails in the
art of fpeakingin this .age in a ftronger light than
this very circumflance ; for there have been few
rooms built for the purpofe of fpeaking, in which
the contrivers have not endeavoured, by artificial
means, to procure as fbrong an echo as poiEble, in
order to affifl the fpeaker, when it is of all others
the greatefl hindrance to him. Whoever there-'
fore has the misfortune to be under a neceflity of
fpeaking in a room of that fort, has no remedy
but this. He mufl leflen the quantity of his voice
till he finds no perceptible echo. It is true this
will put it out of his power to exert himfelf, but

aU

n6 XECrURE V. ^

tH he canliope for in'£zch circmnfbneces is tb *he
heard and uaderftood; energy he muft vrholljr
.giTe up, at kaft it muft'be^4>nfined to very fmafl
'^degrees*

There is another kin^ o( echo in feme rooms^
which does- not fuddenly reverberate the founds, bift
•takes up Ibme interval of time. H<»re the fpeafc-
er muft take cstt*e to be inuch flowetr and diftinA
in his utterance than ufiial, and to make his paufes
longer. He is to attend to the returning found,
and »ot to begin after a paufe till the found is
eeafed. r *

The third cafe is, when a room is fo large or fo
ill conftruAed, that the voice of the fpeaker is loft,
before it reaches the extremities, or fo faa* fpent,
that it has npt £xx:e enough to return to him*
There are ma^y enormous buildings of this kind,
fuch as the old abbeys, cathedrals, and Wtls, in
which the fpeaker has no mere advantage from be^
ing cohered, than if he were in the open air. The
only rule the fpeaker has here, is what "Was firft
mentioned, that of £xing his eyes on the moft
diftant part of iiis auditety, and endeavouring to
make himiG:^lf heard by them in his natural xom-
^afs •, bat if that cannot be, he is to deliver him*
felf to the reft with as much force of voice as he
can ufe without ftraining. BeCde thofe which
Ixave been already mentioned, there a2« fome^oms

. too

LECTURE V.

127

tbo fpacious tb make ^ny returti of the Voice from*
the extremities, which yet have, from the hollow-
nefs ojF the ground underneath, a ftrong echo.
This is the cafe in many of our cathedrals. What-
ever fpeaker has the misfortune to be obliged to
deliver himfelf in one of thefe, has nothing for it,
but to fubmit to ncceffity, and' to get through his
work as well as he can.

N LECTURE

LECTURE VI.

TONES.

X HUS br^ I hsEve confidered the fev^al
.points, that are fundamentally and efientially ne-
ceflary to every public fpeaker ; without which, he
will be fo far firom making any impreflion on his
hearers, that he will not be able to command their
attention, nor, in many cafes, even make himfelf
underftood.

Yet fo low is the ftate of elocution amongft us^
that a man who b mafter even of thefe rudiments
of rhetoric, is comparatively confidered as one of an
excellent delivery. This very circumftance, there-
fore, is a fufficient inducement to apply dofely, at
leaft to the maftery of thefe points.

But when a man has got €0 far, as I can lee no
reafon that he fhould ftop there, or that he fhould
not farther endeavour to make himfelf mafter of
«very thing, which can add grace or force to his
delivery ; I fliail now attempt to lay open the prin-
ciples,

LECTURE VI. 12^

ciples, tEat may ferve as guides to him, in the ufe
of the two remaining articles, tones, and gefture ;
upon which, all that is pleafiirable, or affefting in
elocution, chiefly depend.

Before I enter upon the liibjeft of tones. It will
Be neceflary to fix the precife meaning of the term
hnguage^ ta know what it comprehends, and what
are its boimds;

I dare fay there are few, who would not think
It an alBSront offered to their underftandings, if they
were afked, what they mean by the term language ?
as being a tiing,v«4iiGh erery rational' creature, is
fuppofed neceffarily to know. And I fancy, upon
fuch a queftion's being propofed, the firft thought
that would occur, to every one, who had not proper*
iy coniidered'the point, is, that language is com-t
pefed of word^; And yet, this is fo £ir from be-
ing an adequate idea of language, that the point in
which moft men think' its very eflence to confift, is
not ev^n a ncceffary property of language. For
language, in its full extent, means, any way or
method whatfoever, by which all that paffcs in the
mind of one man^ may be manifefted to another.
•And as this is chiefly done by an agreement in the
ufe of certain flgns, it is no matter what thofe figns
are ; there being little or no natural connection,
between any verbal figns and our ideas, which is
fiifficicntly evinced, by the variety of languages

that

that are fpoken^ in the differeat countries of the
world.

It is truCj the facility with which the communi-
cation is carried on, by xneans of the organs of
fpeech, preferably to any other method ^ togetjier
with fome other reafons> which need not here be
enumerated, have made maxddixd in general agree,
in making articulate founds or words, the fymbcj?
of their ideas ; but we have ample proof, rthat this
did not arife from a principle of ncceffity, but <:on-
veniency. For they who are born deai^ can mak(t
themfelves underftood by viiible figns; and wc
have it on the heft authority, that the Mimes of
the ancients, were perfeftly intelligble, without the
ufe of words. But why need I mention theie,
when every one who C9n read knows, that o^r
thoughts may be coQunimicated by vjjSbU fOSixhs^
as well as by ?xticukte f<5»im<ls ?

I am aware it will -be £u4> that wri(tten hngix^
is only a c^pj of th^ whi<di is fpoken, and has a
conftant reference :to aiticvlation.; the ^harafters
upon paper, being only fymbc^ qf articulate founds*

But though ^ who are bleft with the g^ of
fpeech, by conftautly aflSbciating tjxe ideas of articur
late founds, to tfaofe chj^ra&ers which they fee oo
paper, come to imagine that there is a neceflary
cone<^on betiKeen them, and that the one, is
merely a fymbol of the other j yet, that it is k

itfelf.

lECTURE Vt rjt

itfelf, a' maimier of communication entirely diflfer-
cnt, and utterly independent of the other,' we have
ample demonftration from this, that it can be per-
.fiaiy underflood by thoi%, who never had, nor ev-
er could have, the l^aftldea of an articulate found.'
Thfe has been fully proved, in the cafe of many
perfons born deaf, who yet could read,' and under-
iland written language- perfefliy* well^ and write
their thoughts with accuracy.

It may at firft view be thought, that lacn la-s
bouring* a point of little or no confequence, farther
than fjpecidation y but as I think I (hall be able to
Ihew, that this ftmdamental error with regard to
our general idea of language, in confining it to fucH
narrow bovmds, has had a remarkable efieA upon
our praftice ; and that fome of its nobleft ufcs have
been loft to us, through the want of a juft notion
of its comprehenfion j it muft be granted, that be-
fore I proceed, it will be neocffary, in the fulleft
manner, to dear up that point. The allowed utili-
ty of any meafure, muft be the firft inducement, to
enter on the purfuit of it ; and the reafenablenefs
of it muft. be. fhewii, before its utility will :be al^
lowed.:

In civilized countries, poflefled of the coli'efted

wifdom of ages in books, the learned think they

know, or have it in their power to know every

thing that it-is pofliblc ibr the human mind to be

N 2 acquainted'

S3Z uacjnjm vi,

acquainted vrkh. In v^m have federal new and
important di£coyeri^) made in la!tter ages, as weU
a$ in our 0vn% tjiines^ {beiwn how ill feftwded thi3
opinioi^ is. Learned v^mtys whicli exce^ that of
every other kind, ftili takps ^p arin3 ^g^ipA »ny
thing th^t is Qfiercd as o^w. And even amcHagi):
the moft candid, on accoQnt p£ the many pre-p
teniions that have been made to nev diicoveries,
which have ended in fmoke, the underftanding is
exceedingly on its guard on fiich occafions ; doubts
of every thing that is ofiered to it^ which does not
carry convi^ion ; and vail fcarce^y admit of any
conclusion, that does not amount to dcmonflration*
This is the cafe even in lubjeAs that are in diem^
felves new, and which therefore have no prejudices
to encounter : but wheix the fubje^l happens to be
of that kind which is open to all the world ; which
has not only been an objedk of enquiry and exam-
ination, in theory, but is alib to be viewed in uni-»
verfal pra£tice ; and therefore is of that fort, about
vrhich all mankind have formed certain opinions,
or judgments ; it is evident, that the prepofl^ffions
to be encountered in that cafe, muft be much
ftrongcr 5 and that nothing is likely to remove
them, but neceflary conclufions, drawn from felf-
cvident premifes.

Of this nature, is the fubjefl: of langus^e ; which
being ufed by all ^naiJpndj is of all others, the fub#

jca

]eA -whkh BMi^ind m general, think themfeliies
beA aeqij^itite^ withf and jtfaat) of wbich tiieyhatue
the clcareftasd iuUeft cooBpi^ehenfiaiL And jet it
is of aU <athffln» idbiat of which the moft crrbnsons
Qpkiioo&afe ailevtai»ftd, and with irh«& true iia«
ture, mankind in general are leaft acquainted. The
reaibn of tfais mig^t be dearlj fhewn> were there
tme 90W for ibeh an en<pmj\ but it ought to
piake tlie moft knowing and learned of men, doubt*
fill of their jud^meiit* in this «rtide, when k h
considered with what candour, the clear fighted and
judicious Iiocbe, has acknowledged his error in that
point i and his ignorance of the true ftate of lan-i-
guage, till the precifion, neceflary to his fubje^
compelled him to a f^riA fenitiny into its nature t
in consequence of which he was divefled of the
prejudices, that he had imbibed from cuftom and
education. With what ingoiuous modefty has he
confeiTed, that confciouihefs of error, firft gave rife
to thofe new and important diicoveries, laid open
in the third book of his EiTay, in which he treats
of words I Where he fays, ^ I muft confe& that
<< when r £rft began this difirourfe of the under-
^< ftanding> and a good while after, I had not the
<< leaft thought, that any confideration of words,
*< was at all neceffary to it." And yet this great
man found, that he could not proceed himfelf with
any certainty, or cnanifeft his thoughts to others

with

134 EECTURE VE

with any dcamefs, till he had firft written an cn-i-
tire book upon that pofnt, which he acknowledges
he had before thought, utterly unnecefiary ; and till
he had fet himfelf right, as well las the reft of the
world, in the mifiaken^notioa^ entertained of lan^
guage-

What^ a pity is it, that this penetrating writer^
did not carry his enquiries farther into this impor-
tant fubjefti as he feems in one place to promii^;
We might then have had, as accurate a knowledgej
of the whole of language, as we now have, of that
part of it. which he has> laid t^pen to ns. But he
confined ; him&lf entirely, to that branch of lah'<>
guagej' which related to his fhbje^ -an enquiry in*
to the human underftandihg ; his only obje^was^
to examine the nature of words, as fyn^ols of our
ideas : whilft the nobler branch of language, which
confifts of the %ns of internal emotions, was ui^
touched by him * as foreign to his purpofe. And
however we may be indebted to him, for the new
lights which he has given us into the fubjed^, fb far
as he has gone ; yet it is to be feared, that by ftop-
ping there, he has not a little contributed^ to the
confined view i;^ich we have of language, in con-
fidering it, as made up wholly of wordsi.

Our pains withrefpcft to- language, are at preC-
ent limitedji to the nai:row conception which we
have of it ; and therefore are.whoUy confined to

the

the knowledge and ufe of words : and I think I
may venture to appeal to my hearers^ whether this
is not the generally received opinion ? and wh€tl>
er he, who perfefUy underft^ids the meaning ol
the w(^ds^ and has the right ufe of them at ;Coim»-
mand, is not thought tp .be a mafter of language ?
Yet, if :it can be fliewn liiat thcis is only a part of
language 5 if it can be fhewn that k has other
pai^ts^ abfolutely neceflary to the c^nnnunication of
what pafles in our zmnds^ which cannot pojSibly b^
xione by mcjre words 5 and thaJ t-op in prder to anr
£w^ fome of the nQbJeft> and moA important endsf
^/uch fecial comswnicatojea .; it muft be ^lowed^
that our pain^ ought not tp fee izosdSx^, to that
pari only j but fliQul4 prpportipnaUy b^ attended
to thofe <^hfir parts, vhich are oquaHy ncf:eflkrf »
and i^ tiieir confequences of more *impcTtam:c»
: I hd^vc already &ewn, that words ave, in their
own nature, no eflential part of language, ,and ^e
only coniidered fo through cufiom. 1 4haB flf>l9
proceed t© fliew, that when by cuftom they arc
made a necefl^ part, they are ftill only a part j
that 4hey cannot poffibly efie£t all the purpofes of
fecial communkatiooi ; and that diene are other
parts, efi^ntiaily neceflary to ani^er its noUeft and
beftends.

Words are, by compa&, the marks or i^xnbolt
of our ideas *,. and this is the utmoft extent of their

power.

13O' jLiiiv^x ux^r* vx.

power. Did nothing pafs in the mind of mair>
but ideas 5 were he a different kind of being from
what he is ; were he like the Houynhms of Swift^
always direfted by a cool, invariable^ and as I may
fay inftinftive reafbn ; to make known the ideas of
fuch a mindj and its internal operations, would not
be beyond the power of words : and a language
compofed of words only, provided there were a
fhificient number of them, fo that each idea, and
each operation, might have its diftind mark, would
ihfficiently anjfwer the end; For this we find efr
leAed amongft us, in all matters where fimple rea^
fon, and mere fpecuhtion is concerned, as in the
invefligations of mathematical truths.
- But as there are other things which pais in the
mind of man, befide ideas i as he is not wholly
made up of intellect, but on the contrary, the
paffions, andthe fancy, compofe great part of his
complicated frame ; as the operations of thefe are
attended with an infinite variety of Jemotions in the
mind, both in. kind and degree ; h is clear, that
unlels there be fome means, found, of manifefting
thofe emotions, sdl that pafies in the. mind of one
man.camiQt be communicated .to another... Now^
ar in order, to Imow what another jtoows, ^d in
the fame manner that he knows it, an exa£k tran^
ftript of: the ideas which pafs in the mind of one
man, muft be made by fenfible marks, in the.mind

o£x

liECTURE Vi 137

rf another ; fo In order to feel what another feels,
the eniotions which are in the mind of one man*
muft alfo be communicated to .that of another^ by
fenfible marks.

That the feniible marks neceffary to anfwer this
purpofe, cannot poflibly be mere words, might ful-
ly be proved by a philofqphical difquifition into
their nature, were it proper .at prefent to enter into
fuch an enquiry : but this point may be made fuf-
ficiently clear to anfwer my prefent defign, in a
ihorter way. It is certain that we have given names
to many of thefe emotions, at leaft to fuch as are
of the ftrongefl, and .moil remarkable. kind, though
much the greater part x>f them, and the different
degrees of all, remain without names. But the ufe
of thefe names, is not to ftand as types of the emo-
tions themfelves, but only as iigns, of the iimple or
complex ideas, which are formed .of thofe emo-
tions ; that we maybe enabled, by the help of thofe
names, to diftinguiih them in the underftanding,
and treat of their feveral natures, in tlie fame cool
manner as we do with regard to other ideas, that
have no connexion with any emotions of the mind*

Every one will at once acknowledge that the
terms anger, fear, love, hatred, pity, grief, will not
excite in him the fenfations of thofe paflions, and
make him angry or afraid, compaflionate or griev-
ed i nor, ihould 9 man declare hlmfelf to be under

the

t3^ LECTURE VIv

l&e influence of any of tliofe paffions, in' the moft'
explicit and' ftrong words that the lianguage can af-
ford j would' he in the leaft affeft us> or gain any'
credit^ if he ufed no other figns but wordis. If any
one Ihould fay in the fame tone of voice that he
ufes in delivering indiflTerent propofitionfe from a
cool underftanding, *< Sure never any mortal was
^ fo overwhelmed with grief a? I am at this pref--
.« ent.** Or, " My rage is rouzed to a pitch of fren-^
**zy, r cannot command it: avoid me, be gone
« this moment, or I fhall tear ycfu to pieces :" ftire
no one would feel any pity for the diftrefs of the
former, or any fear from the threats of the latter.
We fhould either believe that he jefted, or if he
would be thought ferious. We fhould be moved to*
laughter at his abfurdity. And why^is this; but'
becaufe he make^ ufe of words only, as the figns of
emotions, which it is impoffiblb they can reprefent ;
and omits the ufe of the true figns of the paflions»
which are, tones, looks, and geftures.

This wiir ferve to fliew us that the language, or
fenfible marks, by which the emotionsr of the mind
are difcovered, and communicated from man to
man, are entirely different from words, and inde-
pendent of them. Nor was this kind of language '
left to the invention of man, or to the chance of
fuch arbitrary marks, as he fliould think proper to
affix to the paffions, in oyder to' charafterize them :

no.

LECTtmE VL t3(>

Jao, it vras ncceflary to Tociety, and to the ftate of
human nature in general, that the language of the
animal paffions of man at kaft, &ould be fixed,
felf-evident, and univerfally inteQigible ; and it has
accordingly been hnprefled, by the un^ring liand
of nature, on the human fram«. Tht imptove*
ment and cxercife of the iritellefltial faculties, to
any eminent degree, could fell to the lot of but a
finall pdrtioft of mankind^ as even the neceflaries
for th^4upp(Mt of life, cannot be acquired by much
the greater part, but by fuch conftant labour and
Induftry as will afford no time for contemplative
ihidies. But tliough it be not neceffary to fociety,
that all men fhould know much 5 it is neceffary
"that they fliould feel mucli, and have a mutual fym-
pathy, in whatfoever affefts their fellow creatures.
All our affections therefore and emotions, belong-
ing to man in liis animal ftate, are fo diftinftly
charafterizcd, by Certain marks, that they cannot
Tdc miftaten ; and this language of the paffions,
carries -witli it the "ftamp of its Ahtiighty Artificer ;
utterly unlike the poor Avorkmanlliip of imperfeft
man, as it is not only underftood by all the differ-
ent nations of the world, -without pains or ftudy j
but excites aHb fimilar ei»otions, -or corresponding
effects in all minds alike.

Thus, the tones expreffive of fbrrow, lamenta-^

t-ion, mirth, joy, hatred, anger, love, pity. Sec. are

O the

140 LECTURE VL

the fame in all nations, and confequently can excite
emotions in us analogous to thofe pafEons, when
accompanying words which we do not underftand t
nay the very tones themfelves, independent of words,
will produce the fame effefts, as has been amply
proved by the power of mufical imitations* And
though thefe tones, are ufually accompanied with
words, in order that the miderftanding may at the
fame time perceive the caufe of thefe emotions, by
a communication of the particular ideas which ex-
cite them ; yet that the whole energy, cwr power
of excitmg analogous emotions in others, lies in the
tones themfelves, may be known from this ; that
*vhenever the force of thefe paffions is extreme,
words give place to inarticulate founds : fighs, mur-
murings, in love; fobs, groans, and cries, in grief;
half choaked foimds, in rage 3 and fhrieks in ter-
ror, are then the only language heard. And the
experience of mankind may be appealed to, whether
thefe have not more power in exciting fympathy,
than any thing that can be done by mere words.

Nor has this language of the paffions been con-
fined to man only ; for in that refpeft, he fcems to
be included in the general law, given to allanimals
that are not mute, or wholly incapable of uttering
any found ; as they alfo exprcfs their paffions by
certain tones, which ftriking the auditory nerves
of thofe of the fame fpecies, always produce corre-

fpondent

LECTURE VI. 14X

fpondent cfifefts j inafmuch as their kindred organs
are invariably tuned by the hand of nature, in uni-
fon to thofe founds. X^ ^

But it is ta be ooferved, that each fpecies of
animals, fecm to have a language of their own, not
at all underftood, or felt by the reft. The lowing
of the cow affefts not the lamb ; nor does the calf
regard the bleating of the fheep. The neighing
of the fteed, calls up all the attention of the horfc
kind \ they gaze towards the place from whence
the found comes, and anfwer it, or sun that way,
if the fteed be not in view 5 whilft the cows and
fheep raife not their heads from the ground, but
ccmtinue to i^^6^ utterly unmoved^ The organs
of hearing in each ^cies, are tuned only to the
founds of their own 5 and whilft the roaring of ths
lionefs, makes the foreft tremble, it is the fweeteft
mufic-to the ears of her young. This fhews us,
that the auditory nerves of animals, are conflrufted
in fuch a way, as to be affefted only with liich
founds, as immediately regard the two chief ends
of their being \ the propagation, and prefervation
of their fpecies : all other founds therefore, except-
ing fuch as excite fympathy, or antipathy,, are in-
different to them.. Sympathy, with thofe of their
own kind ; antipathy, againft fuch as are their nat-
ural enemies, or deftruftive of their fpecies. Thofe
which excite fympathy, may be fuppofed to be all

in

J42 LKTURE Vt

in concord; thofe which roufc antipathy, to be
difcords; which by creating an uneafy fenfation^
immediately difpofe them to flighty to avoid the
enemy. Thus the cry of dogs, warns the hare of
his danger ; and the bowlings of the wolf, alarm
the flock. The different Ipecies of animals, may
therefore be coniidered, as fo many different na*»
lions fpeaking different languages, that haiee ^o
commerce with each other j each of which, confe*
quently underftands none but their own ; except*
ing only thofe who are in a ftate of warfare ; by
whom the language of the enemy is fuflSciently un*
derftood, for the purpofc of felf-prefervation*.

As the pafBons and emotions of the feveral kinds
of animals, ale very different, according to their
different natures, fo is there an equal diverfity of
tones, by which thefe feveral paflSons and emotions,
are cxpreffed •, from the horrible roarings of the
lion, to the gentle bleat ings of the lamb ; from, the
loud bellowings of the wild bull, to the low purr-^
ing of,the domeftic cat. But as there is no paflion
or emotion whatibever, in the whole animal wprW,
which is not ta be found in man,, fo equally com-,
prehenfive is tlie language of his pailions, which
ai« all manifefled by fuitable toi^es. The roaring
of the lion, is not more terrible than the voice of
his angep; nor ^e CQoings of the pigeon, more
<£)ft than the. naurmurs of his love^ The crawing

JuiLV^ J. u jvj:« VI* 143

of the morning cock, is not.fo clear and fprightly
as the notes of his joy ; nor the melancholy mourn-
ings of the turtle, fo plaintive as thofe of his woe;
The organs of hearing therefore in man, are fo con*
ftrufted, as not to be indifferent to any kind of tone j
cither in his own fpecies,. or in the animal world,
that is expreflive of emotion or paffion :.from all
they receive either pleafure or pain, as they are af-
fefted with fympathy or antipathy. It is true that
like the fevend tribes of animals, man is moft affeft-
ed, or has the ftrongeft fympathy excited, by fuch
tones as are uttered by thofe of his own fpecies ;
and in proportion alfo by thofe which moft nearly
refemble them in others. We are moved moft by
the diftrefefiil cries of thofe animals, that have any
fimilitude to the human voice, fuch as the fawn j
and the hare, when feized in purfuit by dogs. But
ftill we both feel and underftand the nature of all
others. Nor can any animal utter any found which
we cannot explain, or tell from what emotion, or
pafBon It proceeds. This diftinguifliing faculty was
neceffary to man as mafter of the animal race, that
by underftanding their feveral languages, he might
relieve their diftrefles, and fupply their wants.
And indeed we find, that the tones of all domeftic
animalsj expreflive of their wants or diftreffes, have
a wonderful power over the human heart, and mor
chanically roufe us to their relief.

o 2 Thus

Thus extenfivjC as arc the powers of the humarr
«ar, thofe of the human toicc do not fall fhort o£
them J but arc exaftly fuitcd to them in degree
and comprehenfion ; there is no tone which the
ear can diftinguifh^ that the voice,, by pains and
pra£tice> is not capable of uttering. Hence it comes .
to pafs, that as man underftands the language of
the different tribes of animals, fo he can make
himfelf undcrftood by thcm^ The horfe rejoices
in the applauding tones of his rider's voice, and
trembles when he changes them to thofe of angen
What blandifhments do we fee in the dog when
his matter fooths him in kind notes ? What fear,
and even fhame, when, he changes them to thofe of
chiding ? By thofe the waggoner dire& his team,
and the herdfman his flock. Even animals of the
moft favage nature, are not proof agaihft collc6live
powers of the human voice ; and fliouts of multi-
tudes will: put wild bcafts to flight, who can hear
without emotion the roarings of the thunder*

But that man fhould be fumiihed with fuch an
cxtenfive power in thefe points, even in his animal
ftate, will appear reafonable, when we confiderthat
his nature, is an abftraft of all animal nature ; and
that in his tribe are to be found, all the emotions,
and paffions, that belong to all the feveral tribes :
confcquently all the marks expreffive of thofe emo-
tions, or fuch as are fimilar to them, ihould belong

to

tfo tEat tribe. If man is capable of being tfie moflr
focial, the moft tender and- affeftionat^ to thofc o£
his own fpecies^ of an; animal^, he is at the fame^
time, capable o£ becoming a g?:cater encmy> and of
kaving a ftrongcr hatred and. detcftation of them,
Uxan is to be found, even amcogft the difierent
^ibes of animals, that are bom in a natural ftate
of enmity. All the natural language therefore of
fympathy, and. antipathy^ fhoold be given to him-
in a higher degree, for the fame reafon that it is
in a more limited (btc affisgned- to the fcveral tribes:
of animals.

Thus far we fihdi that man, in his animal capa*
city, is fumiihed, like all other animals, by nature
herfelf, with a jtoguage which requires neither
ftudy, art, njf^SWitation ; which fpontaneouflj^
breaks out in tne exafteft exprcflions^ nicely pro-
portioned' to the degrees of his inward emotions j
and which is not only univerfally underftood, but
felt by thofe of the lame Ipecies, as alfo in certain ^
degrees by the reft" of the animal world. That
animals fliould come.perfeft fromf the hand of na-
ture, in this refpeft, as wcU as in every thing elle,
feems rcaibnable from this confideration 5 that they
are utterly incapable of improving themftlves, or
of making any alteration in their frames by their
own care or pains ; their fcveral faculties by an in-
variable law, growing to perfeAion, wad decaying
' with '

with their bodies, with as little afliftancc from
themfelves, as vegetation in herbs or trees- is per^-
formed, in the infenfitive world. As the firft of
animals, natm*e has not been lefs provident with
regard to man ^ on the contrary, this, as well as
all his other animal faculties, is beftowed on him
in a degree fuitable to the fuperiority of his rank.
But as man is fomething greater than the firft of
animals ; as he is the link between animal and fpi-
ritual bcingsj and partakes of both their natures ;
other faculties, and other principles, belonging to
his nobler, fpiritual part, difclofe themfelves ; of
which there are no traces in the animal world.

The firft great diftin<Jlion between the human
and animal fpecies, and which Jlpns to mark thek
boundaries, is this : that it is iMi^^apower ofman^
by his own pains and induftry, to forward the per-
fedtion of his nature. And what the nobler part
of his nature is, is clearly pointed ,out by that dif-
tin£lionj becaufe it is that nobler part only, or
filch of his animal faculties, as are neceflary. to for-
ward the perfeftion of that nobler part, which are
capable of improvement by fuch pains. All the
organs and faculties of his body neceflary to his
animal life, are fo fafliionedby the hand of nature,
that they grow of courfe to perfeftion 5 but the
organs (if I may be allowed the expreflion) and fac-
ulties of his mind,_ neceflary to his rational life,. are

only

LECTURE VI, 147

only itt embryo ; and it depends wholly upon the
affiftancc of others, together with his own care, to
give them birth, and bring them to maturityv '

Hence arifes the necefiity of a focial ftate to
man both for the unfolding, and exerting of his
nobler faculties. For this purpofe, a power of open-
ing a communication between mind and mind, was
furniihed in the moft eafy way, by beftowing on
him the organs of ipeedu But ftill we are to ob«-
ferve, that nature did no more than furnifhthe
power and means j ihe did not give the language,
as in the cafe of the paffions, but left it to the in--
dufiry of men, to find out and agree upon iiich 2P^
ticulate founds, as they ihould choofe to make the
fymbols of their ideas. And fhe feems to have laid
down the fame general lawj with refpeft to every
thing which regarded the nobler part of man ; to
fumifh nothing but what was abfblutely neccflary,
and leave the reft to his own induftry : firom the
cxertioa of which, his merit was to arife, and his
pietenfions to ftand a candidate for his admiifionf
into aa higher, and hajppier order of beings*. Ac-
cordingly as fhe did not fiirnifh the wcwrds, which
were to be the fymbols of his ideas 5 neither did-
ftifi fumifh the tones,, which Mrere to manifefl, and
-communicate by their own virtue, the internal ex-
ertions and emotions, of fuch of his nobler facul-
ties,, as chiefly diftinguilh him froia the brute fpe-

cies J;

148 LECTURE VX.

cies ; but left them alfo, like words, to the care and
invention of man ; contenting herfelf with fupply-
ing him with an inftrument, of fuch a compafs as
would furnifli a fulficient variety of tones, to an-
Iwer all the variety of emotions, exertions, and en-
ergies of all his faculties^, if fought for, and fettled
by agreement, to be their marks. Nor has art found
thofc which are of her invention to be of lefs effi-
cacy, or lefs capable of exciting correipondent emo-
tions, than thofe even of natute, when eftabliihed
by cuftom 5 in this cafe juftly called fecond nature^
The only difference between them lying in this>
diat the tones of the animal pafSons,, of themfelv^
excite analogous emotions, without the intervention
of any thing elfe ; they^ are undcrflood, by being
felt. But the tones refulting from the emotions
and exertions of our nobler faculties, though they
excite feeling, as it is in the nat^are of all tones to
do fo, yet it is- only of a vague and ind^erminate
nature ; not correfponding to the energies in the
mind of the Ipeaker, unlefs they are affociat^d with
words, or the fjrmbols of the ideas, which give rife
to thofe energies and emotions j their nature and
degree then become fixed, and the hearer both feels
and underffcmds them.. When any tones therefore
are fixed to certain modes of expreflion, and adopt-
ed into general ufe ; thofe tones, though they have
BO nat-ural connexion with the fentiment, no more

LECTURE VL 149

than words have with ideas j yet by fuch ^flbcia-
tion, become equally intelligible, and equally affeft-
ing with thofe that have, and are made part of the
language; infomuch, that were thofe expreffions
to be uttered without thofe tones, they would not
convey their full meaning.

Thus far I have confidered tones, chiefly in con-
tradiftinffion to words, as the types and language
of the paffions, and ail internal emotions, in the
fame way as articulate founds, are the types and
language of ideas, independent of any fuch emo-
tions. But when we come to examine the powers
of each in their full extent, we fliall find, that
though words are limited to their peculiar office,
and never can fupply the place of tones ; yet tones,
on ^e other hand, are not confined to their prov-
ince, but often iupply the place of words, as marks
of ideas. And though the eafe and diflindhiefs
with which our ideas are marked by articulate
founds, has made all mankind agree to ufe them in
difcourfe, yet that tones are capable in a great meas-
ure of fupplying their place, is clear firom this i
that the Chinefe language is chiefly made up of
tones, and the fame individual word fhall have fix-
ty different meanings, according to the different
tones in which it is pronounced. Here then it is
clear, that fifty-nine of tlie fixty ideas, are marked
by tones ; for the fame individual word, pronounc-
ed

r^o tECTURl VI.

cd exaftiy in the fame manner, ^aimot poffibly bf
kfelf, be a clear send diftinfk mark, for more than;
one idea. This indeed has prodigioiifly increafed
the difficulty of their language, fo that it is fcarce*
ly poi&ble for ftrangers to acquire k ; snd it is the
labour of a man's life, even among the natives, to
make himfelf fully mafter of it. Such a ufe of the
tones therefore, in equal extent, has not been adogf-
'Cd by any other nati^i. Butdbiere are none which
have it not in fome degree. It is true thefc tones
-amongft us, are not annexed to words in their fepa*
rate ftate, but only when they are ^ran^ed in fen-
tcnces.; and he muft be very ignorant cf fpe^ch,
who does not know, that the fame individual words
in a fentcnce, fhallhave feveral very different mean-
ings according to the t®nes which accompany the
•^mphafis. To the ufe of thefe tones is owing in a
^eat meaftire concifcnefs of difcourfe •, and the ne-
ceffity of multiplying words m a laaiguage, to a de-
/gree that might make them burthenfome to the
•memory, is removed. Nor'are4:hcfe the only ad*
^vantages arifing to language from tones; for by
thus felting off words by tqnes, and «iakmg them
determine their meaning, an agreeable variety may
^be introduced, into the mofi: abftrafted and philo-
fophical difcoorfes, in •which tliere is no room for
the language of the paffions and emotions; and
which confequently muft occafion difguft, and foon

weary

l^ECTlfRE VI. 151

weary attention, if deliverecl Jby iiic xifc of mere
wor4s, in o^e dall wifQrpa tone. On the fame
account it is fbrtu^a^e s^fp thajt tones h^ve been
•made the rnark^ of t^.feveral p^£es i and the links
.Mrhich vpkc together^ the feveral asember& of fen-r
4:ences and periods.

^ But befide the ufc of tones, in the cxation of
lus animal, and intdl,e£bual faculties ^ there is anoth-
er part ef ^an's nature which feem^ to be the link
that joins the other two, a great part of whofe exr
crtions, have their very eflence, fo far as they arc
communi<;at6d by the voice, in t9nes ; I mean the
fancy. To c^ie l^ran^ch of this part of his frame,
siature herfelf has furnifted matter for a language,
diff^ent in its kind from ail Other, and peculiar to
TOans J mean, riftl^tyj syftd this matter, accord-
ing to the exertions of fancy, is to be modified in-
to an infinity erf" fi»pes« There is a laugh pf joy^,
and a laugh of i-idicule ; diore is a laugh of ai^ger,
Md a laugh of contempt. Nay there are few of our
f>aflions, to.whfcji fancy cannot adapt, and aflbciate
this language. And fliould we trace it through all
its feveral modifications and degrees, from 4he loud
burft of joy^ to the tones belonging. to tlie dry fneer
jof c<mte9ipt} we Should find, that an extenfivc,
and e^preffive language, Ind^^ndoit of words, be^
longs to this faculty alone. Let any one who has
beeoprefent atawellafted comedy, onlyreflefl^
P how

fjt LECTURE VI.

how very difib-ent the fentimentSi charafters, and
humour have appeared, in the rcprcfentation, from
what was conveyed to him by the mere perufal of
the words in his clofet, and he will need no other
proof to fhew him how neceflary, and how exten-
five a part, the tones make, of the language of
fancy. . ' '

From what has been faid, it will Efficiently ap*
pear, how grofsly they are miftaken, who think
that nothing is eflentiaUy neceflary to language^
but words ^ and that it is no matter, in what tones
their fentiments are uttered, or whether there be
any ufed, fo that the words are but diftinftly pro-
nouncedj and withfuch force of voice as to be clear-
ly heard. Since it muft be allowed, that the ufe of
language is not merely to communicate ideas, but
alfo all tlie internal operations, emotions, and exer-
tions, of the intellefltual, fenfitivc, and imaginative
faculties of man : lince It muft be allowed, that
from the frame of our language, our very ideas
cannot be communicated, nor confequently our
meaning underftood, without the right ufe of tones ;
as many of our ideas are marked and diftinguiihed
from each other by tones, and not words : and fince
it nauft be allowed, that the connexion or repug-
nance of our ideas, their relationfliip or difagree-
xnent, and various dependence on each other in fen-»

tencet^

tenceSf are chiefly pointed out by tones bdonging
lo the feveral paules.

. When therefore we refleft, tliat not only every
thing which is pleafurable, every thing which is
forcible and affefting in utterance, but alfo the moft
material points neceflary to a full and diftinA com-
|»ehenfion^ e\tea of the fenfe of what is uttered,
depends upon tones; it may well aiioniih u&jto
think, that To eflential a part of language, fhould
in a civilized country be wholly neglefted. Nay
worfe, that our youth fhould not only be unin-
ftrufted in the true ufe of thefe, but in the little
art that is ufed, they fhould be early perverted by
falfe rules, utterly repugnant to thofe which nature
has clearly pointed out to us. In confequence o£
which, all the noble ends which might be anfwered'
in a free flate, by a clear, lively, and affefting pub-
lic elocution, are in a great meafure loft to us.
And how can it be othcrwife, when we have given
up the vivifying, energetic language, flamped by
God himfelf upon our natures, for that which is-
die cold, lifelefs work of art, and invention of man; .
and bartered that which can penetrate the inmofl:
recefles of the heart, for one which dies in the ear,,
©r fades on the fight ?

I fhould now proceed to lay down fome praftical
rules and obfervations, with regard to this material
article, but that there is another branch of lan-
guage

154 LECTURE VT.

guagc to nearly Connefted with this thtt all rule*
in regard to the one, have a neceflary relation to
the other} and therefore it will be both the fhort-
eft, and clc^eft inethod, to place them together in
Ticw. The branch which I mean is that part of
language, wWch is manifcfted to fight, by the ex*
preflion o^ the countenance ftnd gefture i. of whicli
I (hall treat in my next.

1

LECTURE

LECTURE Vir..

gesture:

Hitherto,- language has been confi*.
dred, as addrefled to the mind through the ear, by
means of words; and tones. But nature did not
truft an article, . fb eflential to the weU being of
man, to a communication by one Icnfe only ; fhe
ias alfo made it viiiMe to the eye, as wcH as' audi-
.ble to the ear; . So that thedepriTation of either
icnfe,: fhould not -whoMy prevent the exercifc of
-man's nobler faculties. As fhe has annexed tones
to the paffions, to make their exertions known
•through the ear; fo has Ihe aflbciated to them
looks and.geftures, to manifeft them to the eye.
•The one, may be juffly called the fpeech, the oth-
er, the hand writing of- nature. And her hand 1
.writing, like her fpeech, carries evident^ marks wfth
^it, of its divine original ; as it correfponds exaftly
to its archetype, and is therefore univerfallyl<cgible, .
without pains or. fhidy ; jmd as it cont^hs in itlfclf
A P2 a. power;

J

a power cf exerting fimilarj or analogous emotionsi.
Not like the writing of man, which having no a&
finity with its archetype^ can be underftood only by
pains and labour ; and containing lio virtue of its
own, can of itielf, communicate no emotion.

Nor is the written language of nature lefs ex-
preffive, or lefi copious, than her ijpeech. They
ieem nicely fuited to each other, in degree and
power ; in their tfft&s exafily fimilar, having no
other difierence, but what ariies from the difference
of the oi^gant, dirongfa which they are conveyed.
As evoy paiEoa has tu pecoUar tote, ib has it, its
pectiltar look or gefture. A&d in each, the fevend
degrees are nrarked, with the niceift exaAneik ' Both
indeed proceeding from the touching of one mafter
firing, iixtemsd £Qcting,^muft always anfwer to each
other, if I may ib -l^i^eak, in peribA unifiaa. Thus
fur fbey are equal in point of ^expreffion ; and with
rc(pe& to copiou&e£( as it has been before obferv<-
tif that the human voice is fiimilhed widi an in*
finite variety of tones, fttitable to the infinite -vari-
ety of ^motiom in the mind ; ib ttv the human
countoiance ^XkA limbs, ^capabk of an infimfee vari-
ety of dkanges, fuitable to ihe tones i or rather to
the emotions, wJiience they bodi take their xik.
To this purpoie every noblor organ 'm man's com-
plicate frames and the whole animal economy
cvntiibute. The n^^fcks^ nerves, the bloodt and

animal

animal fpints, aH art at wdrk to (hew interna l corn-

motion. The cOhtra£^on or remiiBon of the fol-

ids, fhewn by courageous exertion of aftionj or pu-

fiknmxArs trembtiii^v t^^ roChing or Dvkhdraw**

ing of the flukb> &sn in biufldng w "pi^enefs ; are

ftrong and felf-^Tidcnt charaAers. But of all the

organs^ the eye, rightly called the window to the

breaft, contains the greateft variety, a5 well as dif^

tinflion and force of chara&ers. In rag^ it is in«

flamedi in fear k £cken$ ; it fparkles in joy, in diC* ^

trefs it is clouded. Nature has indeed annexed to

the paffion of grief, a more forcible chara£ter than

any other, that of tears v of all parts of language,

the moft expreffive. And jufUy was this ex:traor-

dinary fign of that paiiion, annexed to the nature

of man •, the child of forrow, and inhabitant of the

Talc of woe : not only to eafe the bmthened heart,

but more powerfully to excite his fellow creatures

to pity, and to rdieve his diftrefs. Thus at once

affording balm to the affi£ked, and inciting man*

kind to the excrcife of their nobleft quality, bene-*

Tolence. On which account, this iingle charaAer,

fums up in it the whole power of language ; and

in certain circomftances, has more force done, than

all the united endeavours of words, tones, and ge£-

tuFds, can come up to. Such were the precious

drops that fell from Milton's £ve^ which Adam

kifled away i m

pacious

• grkcums ligns- of fwcct remorfc,'

And pious awe, that fcar*d to have offended.
Such were the tears of Sigilmunda, in Dryden's
beautiful deicription^ (hed oyer Guifcardo's heart: :

She faid-i-her brim-fiiU leyes that ready Aood^
And only wanted will, to weep 'a flood,
Rcleas'd their watVy ftore, and pour'd amain,.,
tike clouds low hung, a fobcr flioVr of rain ; :
Mute, fol^ten forrow, free from female noife^ .
. Sdch, as the raajefty of grief deftrbye ;
For bending o'er the cup, the tears Ac ibed, .
Seem*d, by the pofture, to-difcharge her head j
0*erfill*d before ; and oft her mouth apply*d
To the cold heart, ihe kifs'd at onec, and cry'd.*

Nor is the vlrtue^of this exprefllon confined to '
our own fpecies only, but it is of all others that
^vhich moft moves us^ in fiich animals as are capar
ble of it. On whidb account, the Jdrong .painter of
nature, Shakefpear,.in his defcription of the wound-
ed ftag, (landing over the ftream, took care not to
Oiiiitit; where he -fays,

the big round drops
Covrfed one another down his innocent nofe.
In piteous chafe.

Whidi i$ by much the moft affeaing part of tte
pifture.

But though in this written laaiguagc of nature,
flbe has given fuch forcible, and diftindl charafters,
to all the animal faffions of man, and proportitm-

ally

tECTURE Vlt ir^

atTy to (uch 2g have a near affinity to them, or are
blended with them 5 yet fhe has laid down the fame
hWj with regard to the vi£ble figns, of the exer-*
tions and emotions of all his. noUer £icidtieS) as fhe
has done with regard to the toies. In both (he
has furnifhed the means with equal liberality \ but
has left it to the inventaoa and care of man^ to
make a right ufe of them^ and apply them; in fuit**-
able degrees. By the: exertion of foch ikill and
pains^ it would be found that the vifible language
alone, which can be fhewn in the features and
limbs of man, is of itfelf fufficient, without other
:iid, to every purpofe of focial communication. To«
mftance only in two articles, the eyes, and hands ^
what inward emotion is there, which cannot be
manifefted by thefe l Do not the eyes difcover hu-^
xnility, pride y, cruelty, compaiSon ; reflection, di&
ilpation \ kindnefs, refentment ? is there an emo^
tion of fancy, is there a (hade of ridicuk, which
they cannot repteient { Let any one who has feeft
Mr. Garrick perform, confider how much he was>
indebted to the language of his eyes, and there
will be no occafion to fay more, to give him an
idea of the extent and power of expreflion, to.
which that language may be brought.

With refpeft to the power of the haivls, every

one knows that with them, we can demand, or

.^ promiie \ call, difmifs y threaten, fupplicate ^ afk^

deny;

?6a IkCUl-UlUIi \ll.^

deny ; flicw joy,^ forrow, dcteftationj fear, confet
fion, penitence, admiration, refpeft ; and many oth-
er things now in common ufe. But how much far-
ther their powers might be carried, through our
negleft of ufing them, we little know. And indeed
the extenfivenefs of this vifible language, would
icarce gain credit with us, notwithftanding all the
accounts of it handed down from antiquity, partic*
ttlarly with rcfpeA to the mimes, had we not in-
ftances of natural mimes, now living, who have
been compelled to the ftudy and praAice of this
ianguage, through the misfortune of having been
born without the &nfe of hearing.

Having fufficiently Oiewn the force and extent
of this language ef nature^ and the abfolute necei^
fity of it to man, in order to the exertion, exercife
and manifeftation of all his nobler faculties, it may
juWy excite wonder to refleft, that it has been in
general fo little cultivated.; and that h^ory fur-*
nifhes us witli an account but of two nations, out
of the great i?ariety thathave inhabited this peo-
pled globe fince the creation,, that ever applied
themfelves to the. regular, ftudy and praftice of itj
lb as to bring it to perfedtibn. And thefe were the
Greeks and Romans; who raifed themfelves to
iuch an height above the reft of mankind, that
when we examine their hiftory, furvey their migh-r
tjr works> and compare them with thofc of other

nations^^

LECTURE VH. , zSt

nations^ their proportion to the reft of the worlds
^eems to be that of ^e JSrobdignags to the LilU»
putiaris.

It is true thatln Tome other cOTHitrics, this lan-
^age of figns, has in fome degree prevailed ; but
the difference between the ancients and modems^
lies in this : that the ancients founded all their in*
^ituted figns on nature^ from her they drew al^^
their ftores ; fitted them in thenicefl: and exadlg q]^
manner to the emotions which they were t<j |^i^
•prefs ; and adapted them fo to their artifici^^^ampi^s^
guage, that their whole delivery formed V^g^ids the
pleteft harmony : the words, tones, looks aN\^ ^^^
tures, correfponding to each other, in fuch a ^p^^jII
as that each -contributed to enforce and adorn ttij^g^
other ; and their united efforts, produced the feny^^.
timents of the mind, in their full proportion s^n<^j^^
beauty. So that all mankind, who faw and heard|^^
them, were charmed with the manner of their de-"\
livery, though they underftood not their fpeechs
and partook of their emotionst, even without any
communication of their ideas. But amongft the
vnodems, the inflituted figns of tones, gefture, &c.
were not founded on nature, but caprice and faiv
cy } and obtained their whole force, fi"om fafliiott
and cuftom. Confequently, they had neither meanr
ing, or beauty, to any but the natives of each coun^-
try^ and were totally, different £rom each other jp

the

«to I.ECTURE Vn.

4}ie feveral coumric(i ; vrhkh is fufficieiM:^ IknoWft

kf aU who are.coQfver&Qt wkh the natives of FraiKC^

'Spain, and Italy. But of all nations in the world,

the Englifli feem te have tljie leaf^ ufe of fiiis hxif-

guage 4rf iigns \ ther^ feeing few inftituted figns of

.emotions, either .of tonea, looks, or geftures, that

^are adopted into general vifc. On the cpntraiy,

^Mcach . individual, dther foUov«rfi hi9 own fancy i^

03ii^is refpcA, and h^ what is called a vray of hi^

been J » ^ ^^^ adopts the manner fif fome t>ther,

Janguagl]^^^ his fancy, and of "whom he is jsdtogetb-

born witt^ick-

Ji^^ai what has been faid, it is aj^arent that no

of (6neral practical rules, I mean fuch as would be of

£^y efficacy, can be laid down in this refpedL For

jyjgencral jM^<SHcal rules muft be founded on general

. j^praAicc -, and as there is no fuch ftandard, in th.cfc

afcountries, to refer to, it would be in vain to lay

down fuch "rules, as cannot T)e ^explained io^d ^n^

Corced by examples. In fome p6inte,;that demand

praftice, as well as fpectilation, tlie pra^fical part

muft be obtained by the imitation of patterns, and

^:x>ntinual ejcercife in that way, till the imitadoa b&

comes perfe^ft, and paffes into a habit. But where

4here ^are no general models to be copied ¥rom,

ithere can be no general prafbice, founded on imita^

tion. In Greece and Rome, all the'public ipeak-

•ers, agreeing as much in the ;ufe ^ the fame ilg^

3LECTURE VIL 163

sor language of nat»r€, as they did in the ufc of the
fame words, or language of art ; afibrded general,
MConftan(t, and fttre patterns of imitation to others.
In France, Italy, and Spain, as in each country,
there is an uniform, fteady ufe of the fame figns^
though in a more confined ^way, yet to far they alfo
afibrd fore patterns of imitation. But in England,
where tb^e are icarce any tracer of a general agrec-
fnent in the life of fuch figns, there can be no ob-
servations drawn from genial practice, no rules
laid down that require explanation by examples^
new no manner Tecommended, which demands the
aid of patttems. tn this cafe, all that cain be done
is, to lay down ftich rules to incfividua^s, as (hall
enable them to avoid factlts, not acquire beauties.
It is in the powef of rules to comp^fs the former,
the latter cannot he ol^tained without models and
pra£tice. I fay cannet be obtained ; for to fome,
nature has been uncommonly bbtintiful 5 and in
thofe vrho have had the good fortune to efcapc ill
habits, a native grace will appear, beyond what
could be acquired by art alone ; but of this the in-
ftances are f are. If inftances of fuch extraordina^
ry gifts are few, much fewer are the examples of
fuch, as have not been corrapt^d by cuftom. And
indeed when thefe gifts are beftowed in the moft
eminent degree, they are capable of gfeat improve-
(^ raenl;

i64 LECTURE VIL

ment by art ; fo that induftry is equally ufeful, if
not equally neceflary to all.

It has been already obferved, that as there is no
common ftandard to be referred to, no general
models for imitation, in the ufe of tones and gef-
ture ; each individual, either forms a manner pe-
culiar to himfelf, or adopts that of fome other, that
ftrikes his fancy. Of tliefe two ways, there can be
no doubt, which a man -fhould follow. He that
forms to himfelf a manner of his own, will proba-
Wy acquire fuch a one, as will be mofl: confonant
to his own pow«*s and his own feelings. The very
eafe with which he foils 'into this, and the difficul-
ty, as weU as abfurdity, of putting any cpnftraint
upon his nature, and forcing his organs, where he
has no objeft of imitation in view, will of courfc
accomplifh this point. But he who endeavours to
adopt the manner of another, lofes fight of his own
nature, and puts a conftraint upon his organs. For
men do not diflfer more from each other in their
faces, than they do in their powers of -delivery.
And the Tame manner which is ealy and agreeable
in one man, becomes conftralned and difgufting,
when aflumed by another. The reafon is, that all
conftraint upon nature is inftantly perceived, as it
produces affeftation, and of courfe deftroys true
feeling; for it is as impoffible, where affeftatioa
takes place in the manner of delivery, or in the

figut

jujcv^iUJK-r. vjui. roc

figns of inward emotions, that the feelings of the
heart fliould be excited, as that two mufical firings,
not in unifon, fhould vibrate to each other, when
one only i» ftruck, Fantaftical emotions will pro-
duce fantaftical figns, and fantaftical' figns> by reac*
tion, will produce fantaftical emotions. Both, hav-
ing their rife in the imagination, may operate upon
the fancy, and. produce effeib there, but never can;
reach the heart.; as* all communication between
them, is neceffarily cut off by affectation. Thu&
the fancied operations of the fpirit, in the people
called Quakers, manifcfted by the moft unnatural
figns J and in fome other religious feftsj by a cer-.
tain, cant, and extravagant geftures, produce pow-
erful effefts,^ on the imaginations of fiich hearersj^
a9 are bred" up in the perfiiafion, that fuch figns
are the language of the fpirit : but it muft be evi^
dent, upon obferving both the preachers and theic
^luditory, that it is only the imagination, which is
fb wrought upon ; as there is no difcovering ia
their countenances, any figns which are the natural
concomitants of the feelings of the heart. This
fort of language of emotions therefore, is well cal-
culated to make enthufiafts, but not believers.

In fuch a fituation of things, the rule by which
all public fpeakers are to guide themfelves is obvi-
eus and eafy. Let each, in the firft place, avoid
all imitation of others j let him give up all preten-

fions

100 1aU.v^iujkx vja.

fions to art, for it is ceFtaui that it is better to haire
none, than not enough ; and no man has enough,
who has not arrived at iuch a* perfection of art, a&
wholly to conceal his art ^ a thing not to be com-
paiTed but by the united endeavours of the beft m->
ftruftion, perfeA patterns,, and conftant pra£tice.
Let him forget that he ever learned to nead ; at
leaft, let him wholly forget his reading tones. Let
him Ipeak entirely from his feelings; and they
will find much truer figns to. manifeft themfelves.
by, than he. could find for thenu Let him always:
have in view, what the chief end of ipeakihg is 5
and he will fee the neceffity of the means propofed
to anfwer the end. The chief' end of all publib
fpeakers is to perfiiade $ and in order to perfbade^
it is above all things neceflaryj that the ipeaker
(hoidd at kaft appear himielT to belii*ve, what he-
utters.;, bet this can never be the cafe, wh«re there!
are any evident marks (rf affeCbtion; or art.. Oa
the contrary, when, a man delivers himfelf in his
ufual manner) and with the (ame tones and gefturei,
that he is accuftomcd to nfc, when he Ipeaks frotxh
his heart ; however aukward that manner may be,,
however ill reguJated the* tones, he will ftill have
the advantage of being thought fincere ; which ot
all others, is the moft neceflary article, towards,
ftcuring attention and belief 5 as aflfefbtiOD of any
kind, is the furcft way to defeoy both*

: I^CTURE VHr t&j;

In elocution) the two great articles are, force, and ,.
grace ; the one has its foundation chiefly in nature,
the other in art. When united, they mutually'
fiipport each other ; when feparated, their powers,
are very different. Natwe. can do much without-
art ; art but little without nature. Nature, affaults
the heart •, art^ plays upon the fancy. Force of
fpeaking, will produce emotion and conviftionV
grace, only excites pleafure and admiration. As
the one is the primsiry, and the other but a fecon-
dary end of fpeech, it is evident, that where onc-
er the other^ is wholly to take place, the former
fhould have the preference. Grace in elocution,-
h is hardly poffible to obtain, in the prefent ftate^
of things : force, of delivery, is the neceflary refult
of a clear head, and warm heart ; provided no bad-
habits interfere, and the fpeaker fuffers his manner
to be regulated wholly by his feelings and concep-
tions..-

Perhaps it may be thought, that in reducing all
which might be offered on this head, to one fimple
rule, there, has been little done, and that no great
improvement is likely to. enfue j or at beft, that by
recommending it to each, to follow his own man-<
ner, whatever it be, he will be left in the pofleffidn;
of all the faults and defe<Sbs belonging to that man-
ner. It will be urged, that a fyftem of rules, point-s
ing out what particular tones and geibiresy are m
<L2 their.r

i68 LECTURE VII.

thehr own nature^ beA adapted to txprtfs the feren.^
al cmotioiis of the mind, would be the tme means^.
to £bew how peofrie maj arrive at propriety and
grace, in thofe ornamental parts of delivery. But
they who judge in this manner, have not fufl^nent*
ly ccMofidered the natnre of the iubjedt *, and there-
fiire attribute more power to precept alone, dian it
U poflefled oR Pra^cal ndes, difier much ftoia
thofe which are merely fpeculative; nor will in*
fiorming die vnderftandtng in fiyme cafes, by any
means prodoce right execution, without other a&
fiftance. Can any one be taught to fihg, or to-
dance, without the aid dPmafters, and patterns for
imitation ? Why Aoidd we fiippolb then, that the
ule of regular tones and gefture, which are of the*
fame nature, and founded upon the fame principles^
can be acquired any other way ? Should we not
laugh at the al^rdity, of any finging or dancing
mafler, that fiiould propoie to inflruiSt his pupils
«nly by laying down, each, the rules of his art ;
and fhewing the praAical psDrt by fingmg, or danc^
sng himfelf, without makiiig h» pupils alfo prac-
tice, and GorreAing every deviation ^-om rule, and
every £iult in their execution, till it become exa£t i
Should we not fuppofe, in iuch a cafe, diat the pu-
fSlsy at beft, muft become but very awkward^ and
inaccurate mimics of their manner / The fame fate
snuft al& attend any attempt, to teach the ufe of

regular

lECrUKE Vlt; t6g^

regular tones and gefture, wiUiout purfiiing dir
fame method as is ufed by the maAers in their kin«^
dred arts. Nothing woidd be more eai^' than tO'
produce a more -comprehenfiTC iyftwn of rules, oir
that head, ti^an any estaat ; but this would be a
work of more oflentation than ufc. Were there
mafliers to teacb diis, in die &ne mai^ier ^ other
arts are taught, (uch a fyftem of ruler, would not
only be ufeful but neceflary; And indeed, with*
out fiich a lyftcm of rules, to qualify perions for
the office of inftru£ting pupils methodically in the
art^ we can* never hope to fee proper mafters arife
amongft us. Till that comes to pafi, the beft fer-
vice I cair do, fs to inform individuals Howthcy^
may by their own endeavours' arrive at fiich a de-
gree of eiecellence, as they can attam, without the
aid of mafters ; and I am. much deceived if the
obfervation c£ diis rule wiU not be feund the only
means ci accomplifhing the poiitit;

To thoie who knagine, that this would make
but little improvement, m the article of delivery, I
muft beg leave to ob(erve, that they have not fiiffi-
ciently coniidered^ die chief caufe of its low ftatc
amongft us. Which is, that an artificial manner,
eidier from early inftitution, or {iibfequent imita«
tion, has in general fupplanted that whkh is natur-'
al in moft public fpeakers, and readers ; or in fome
degree aflUted the beft. And this artificial man«

nep

J70f LECTURE Vlt.

ncr, not bdng founded on true principles^ and a&t
ways differing from that which is natural, of courfe*.
carries with it evident marks of art and afeftation. .
So that the reftoring a natural manner, of delivery,
would be bringing about an entire revolution,; .in-
its moft effcntial- parts.. And if I can ihewj that
after a perfon has made himfelf'mafterof the fun-
damental points, which have been confidered at.
large in the former leihires, nothing elfe would be.
wanting, to anfwer the great purpofes of delivery,.
and to obtain . him; the character of an* excellent;
fpeaker, in proportion to his natural talents ; if I.
can fhcw too, that it is in the power of ? every one.
to compafs this point, i£ he feriouily. applies to it v
I cannot but think, that every end, which could
rcafonably be expeAed from a courfe of this nature>
will be fully anfwered.

I know the obje6tion ready to be ftarted againft
this method is, what has been already mentioned,;
that if every one follows his o^vn manner, the faults
belonging to thiat manner, muft of courfe' accompa-*
ny his delivery. 'Tis granted ; and it were to be
wifhed, that a way were opened,' by which fpeak-.
crs might be cured of all feults, in all the parts of
delivery J but as this is impofEble, without the aid
of matters j and fince through want of maflerSf
faults there muft bej the queftion is, whether a
perfon ihould take up with, hi* own, or thofe of

• another ?

inotlier ? A man's own faults, fit caiy oo him ;;
habit has given them the air of being nattiral j.
thofe of another, are not affiimcd without awk**
wardneis; they are evidently artificiaL. Where
truth is concerned, the very faults o£ a fpcaker
which feem natural, are more agreeable to the hear-
er, than fttch beauties as ar!e appacendy borrowed ;;
in the fame maimer as the mojft indifiFerent natural
complexion, is preferred hj thofe whofc tafte bnot
corrupted, to the fineft painted Ikiuk It is oftea
feen, that the motions and addrefs of a man^ awk-*^
wardly formed, appear more graceful, on account
of their cafe, than thofe of the beft ftiaped, who
ape the manner of others ; and who fhew an evi-»
dent attention to their deportment | for that, muft
always be the cafe of copyifbi..

But befides, in: the prefent ftate of etecution, no^
one need be- apprehenilve of fufiPering by faults of
this kind j for they will either not be perceived by
the general eye> or be overlooked by the moft cri.
tical. It has beea already obferved, that he who
is mafter even of the rudiments, pafles amongft us
fcr a good i^»eaker ; and if to thefe, force be fopcr-.
added in his manner, we have every thing that we
require in a good deKvery, Grace and harmony,
2|s they ai:e fcarce known amongft us, fo are they
m general out of the queftibn*. Nbtliing can fhock
US, in the manner of delivery, but fomc manifefe

abfurdity,

f72 utv^iuiu:. Yii;.

abfurdity, or impropriety. He who fpeaks front
his hearty can never fall into any abfurdity in hia
manner J this is what they only are liable to, wha
adopt the manner of another, or are governed by
imperfeft, or ill founded rules of art* And ,with
refpeft to impropriety, as that confifts in offending
againft fome general known rule,, where no fjuch
rules exift, there can be no perceptible impropriety^
Singularity of manner, is far from giving lis any.
idea of impropriety, becaufe it is fo cuftomary,.a9
tp feem conformable to the very genius of the na-*
tion. Nor is fingularity of manner, in the prefent
ftate of elocution, prejudicial to the main objeft of
delivery; the reafbn of this will be immediately,
perceived, when we confider the difference between
impropriety in the ufe of words, as figns of ouc
ideas, and that of tones and gefture, as figns of our
emotions. Words, being made by compadt figns of
our ideas, have a general^mcaning annexed "to themi
in which all are agreed 5 and he who is fingular ii^
bis ufe of them, and annexes anyother-fignification
to them, than what is eftablifhed hf fuch. general
agreement, renders himfelf unintelligible, and is:
guilty of a manifeft impi5opriety.. But the ufe of
tones and gefturcx as, marks of our emotions, not
having been eftablifhed amongfl us, by any fucli
general compaiSl:; at leaft there being but very few
that have any fettled fignificance j each individual^

^. ha&.

LECTURE VII. 4 7J

liaB a proportional latitude^ to adopt fuch as he
thinks proper, for his own ufe, Amongft the
Greeks and Romans indeed, by whom the language
of emotions, was as well regulated, and univerfally
under ftood, as the langtiagc of ideas; any change,
m the life of eftablifhed tones and gefture, was
looked upon to be as great an impropriety, as the
ufe of words, in a different fenfe from what cuf-
torn had annexed to them. And the fame holds
good alfo in France, Spain, and Italy, fo far as fuch
figns are adopted into gencrel ufe. But for the
reafons before ajEgned, it is not fo with usL Each
man, has in a great meafure, a language of his
own, by which he exprefles his emotions. If it be
faid, that iuch a diverfity in the ufe of this lan-
guage^ muft be attended with as bad confequences,
as th^ confufion of the longnes at Babel, and ren-
der it impoflible for men to tmderftand the mean-
ing of each other's figns ; in anfwer to this, it is to
be obferved, that there is an effential difference be-
tween the two languages, as to their intelligibility,
or mode 6f underflanding them. The language of
ideas, cannot poffibly be underflood, without an
agreement in the Tife of the fame figns or words ;
but the language of emotions, when afTociated to
words, requires no fuch agreement in the ufe of
the fame figns, to point out their fignificancy. For,
as words ihew the ideas which pafs in the mind of

the

174 LECTURE VH.

the fpeaker^ and which are the caadks of Im emc^
tion$5 the nature of the figns by which the fpeakev
manifefts thofe emotions^ is at the fame time fuUf
difplayed. On the other hand, h is not in the
power of the language <rf emotions, to give us the
ieafi mfight into the language of ideas ; for if ±
perfon, fpeaking an unknown tongue, fhould ac-?
company his words with the moft animated ge&
ture, expreffive looks, and ilgnificant tones ; though
we may perfefiiy underftand the nature of his
•emotions, and partake <^ his feelings, yet it is im«
poffible, without an interpreter, to know the caufe
of them, or the particular ideas in the mind of the
fpeaker, that gave them birth. But ihould three
natives of France, Spain, and Italy, relate the fame
thing fucceffivdy to one, who underi^ood their fev*
era! tongues, with tones, looks, and geftures, en-
tirely different from eadi other, he would not only
underftand the meaning of their words, hut of
their concomitant figns alfo. In this cafe the lan^*
guage of ideas, illuftrates all the different languages
of emotion, in the fame manner as the fun ill«»
minatcs the fcveral planets j which, dark in them»
felves, ihine only by reflefted light.

This being the cafe, perfons who are advanced in
life, need not have any foUcitude^ about the deHca*
cies and graces of delivery j force and expreSion,
will anfwer all their ends ; and thefe» it is in their

own

L1ECTURE Vn. tjs

own power to give, to their external marks, in >pro-
portion to what pafles within their minds, only by
indulging their feelings, and avoiding all affeAation
^and art. Of this we have as many inftances in pri-
vate life, as we meet with perfons who fpeak from
their hearts, upon any topic, or incident which near-
ly concerns them. And if we feldom meet with it
in public difcourfes, it is either, becaufe the Jpeak-
ers, have not their hearts affedsd by the fubjedlsj
upon wbich they harangue j or becaufe, an artifi-
cial manner, for the reafons before mentioned, has
fupplanted that of the natural kind. This it was
which Betterton meant by his rejdy to the Bifhop
of London ; who aiking him on a certain occafion^
<< What could be the reafon^ that whole audiences
<« fhould be moved to tears, and have all forts of
«paffions excited, at the reprcfentauon of fome
*^ ftory on the ftage, which they knew to be feign-
" cd, and in the event of which, they were not at
«« all concerned ; yet that the fame perfons, flxould
'« fit fo utterly unmoved, at difcourfes from the pul-
<<pit, upon fubje^ of the utmofl importance to
♦< them, relative not only to their temporal, but al-
f< fo their eternal interefh i*^ He received from
l^etterton this memorable reply : "My Lord, it is
«f becaufe we are in earnefl." And indeed who-
ever is in eamef^ when he fpeaks in public, pro-
vided he be free fi-om any defeats, in the funda-
R mental

ij6 LECTURE VH.

mental parts of delivery, will anfwer eva^y end of
elocution in thefe times, and pais for an excellent
fpeaker ; and I am much deceived, if it is not to
this point chieiy, that thofe who are reckoned the
beft fpcakcrs at this day, are indebted for their re*
putation. Sure I am, that the advantages which
the Mcthodift teachers have obtained over the re-
gular clergy, in feducing fo many of their flocks
from;them, have been wholly owing to this. For
were they to read their nonferffe from m>tes, in the
fame cold, artificial manner, that fo many rf the
clergy deliver rational difcourfes, it is to be prefum-
cd, that there are few of mankiircl, fuch ideots, as
to become their followers ; or who would not pre-
fer fenfe to.nanfenfe, if they were cloathed mthe
fame garb.

Excepting Ihcfe wild orators^ we have few id-
ftances of any public fpeakers, who even feem to
be in eameft •, and on that account, thofe few who
are really fo, raife to themTelves a proportionate
degree of admiration.. Upon a late public occafion
at Oxford, there was a remarkable proof given of
this. A perfon, of the firft ftation* in the Uni-
verfity, was to addrefs, by virtue of his office, the
new elefted Chancellor, in the public ^theatre, and
m the prefencc of many thoufands. He was no
way remarkable for docution, and this was perhaps
^t firft time he found himfelf engaged in a fcene
* The Vkc ChanctUpr, ^

LECTURE Vlt 17-^

et this kind. As he was a man of a {|)eculative
turn, he had an uncommon ihare, evenin private
company, of that awkward ba£hiulnef%- which i^
ufiially the attendant of thofe, who- have much
commerce with books, and little with the world;
Thofe of his acquaintance, therefore, ,wcre in pain
for him; and they who knew him only by char
IJafterxdidinot expeft that he would acquit himfelf
^well. JBut all were ptea^gly difappointed. As
he had no art, he didnot attempt to ufe any. 11^
was really, and at heart pleaied, with the. ele£iioii
©f the Chancellor, and expreffed himfelf accord.-
ingly. He Deceived him> with the air of the fam^;
cordial joy, that a man would ihew, on the arrival
of > long wiflied for^ noble, giieft, under his i:oo4.
whofe prefence would make a fort of little- jubilee
in the £imily. His tones were fuch^ as refult from
a glad heart ;. his eyes fparkled with pteafure, and
his whole countenance and gefture were in exaft
miifon. No one was at leifure to examine whether
any part of his elocution might have been more,
graceful ; it was juft, it was forcible, it moved even-
ly one. His eafy, natural, and unaffe^ed manner,
which perhaps was fcarcely ever "Veen before by
any of his auditors, in a public fpeaker, excited
burfts of univerfal applaufe ; not from proftituted
hands, in fupport of party opinions ; but from
hearts, that felt themfelvcs agitated, by a participa^

tion

178 LECTURE Vn.

tion of kindred fee&igSj reiulting firom his manner^
iiidependem of his matter.

But that the natural manner ot deli^^erfi fhould
haye ludi force, and pafi for the moft excellent
kind amongft us, ^ho have nerer made any at*
tempt to ftudy docutibn as an art ^ is no matter
of furprife, when we coiner, that even amongft
the Romans, after the art had been introduced^
and numbers applied themfidves doddj to the ftu^
dy and practice of it, there was ftill great attention
given, and high honour paid to fuch fpeakers, as
relied entirely on nature, and had their delivery
wholly governed by their emotions. Cicero, in his
book De Orat<H*e, mentions an inftance of this
kind in Q^Varius, whom he reprefents, as utterly
rude, and ungracefid in his manner, to the laft de-
gree ; yet as one who had obtained a great weight
at Rome, by his power df fpeaking, fuch as it was.

This point being allowed, it is evidently in the
power of every one, tb deliver himfelf with fiich
force^ and acquire inch, a reputation for fpeakingj^
as he is entitled to by his nativ^l talents. There
are few public fpeakers who have not two kinds of
delivery j one tor public, the other for private ufe«.
The one, artificial and conftrained ; the other, nat*
ural and eafy. There is therefore^ nothing more
required, than to change one manner for another ;
to unlearn the former, and fiibftitute the latter in

its

its room"; of which, each individual is already
matter. Had he inclecd a new manner to acquire,
as well as to get rid of, the old, the difficulty would
be great; but .when he. has only to unlearn a bad
habit, and has another ready to fubftitute in its
room, it requires pothiiig but attention, and regu-
lar iaformatian of hb errors,. when he falls into
them.

Befide the fources of artificial delivery before
mentionedj there is another, with which moft pub-r
lie fpeakers are unknowingly infe<Sled. I mean cer-r
tain peculiaritiesiwhich*)prcvail, in each of ihe three
different fpecies of delivery, in the pulpit, the fen^
ate lioufe, and the bar, both in phrafcology and
manner; and thefe, cannot be .too ftudioufly avoid-
ed. . They, have each- their particular idioms, and
abound with expletives and rcpletives, accompanied
with motions, equally unimportant, and .infignifiw
cant. Thefe probably, owed their origin,, to imita-
tion of ' the faults (for faults are eafily imitated) of
fome g( the admired fpeakers, in the feveral branch-
es. They . have been adopted into fuch general
ufe by each fociety, that it is hard for any member
of thofe bodies, to avoid catching themjunlefs he
be upon his guard againft them. But as it is eafy
to know thofe fingularities, fo the being guarded '
againft: them, will prevent new members from fall-
ing into them; and attention. and nefolution, will.
R 2 foon ;

foon get the better of them^ in^ thofe, who are al-
ready infefted. It may be faid^ that cuftom has fo
far fan£Hfied theft finguhoities, that the avoiding
them is not an objeft of any moment j and that it
Is at leaft a matter of indi&rence, whether they
are ufed or not. It is true indeed, that general ufe
has rendered them fo familiar, that their deformity
is not perceived ; ^md the practice of them b at-
tended with no Uame. But on the other hand, he
who avoids them is fure to be comn^nded for it,
and makes himftlf diftinguiihed on that very^ ac-
count. He that is contented, if he efcapes with-
out cenfure, may freely indulge himfelf in the ufe
of them ; but he that would obtain praife, will not
furely lofe fo cheap an opportunity of purchafing
it, as that of avoiding general and apparent faults,
which will cofl him no more pains than a refolu-
tion to do fo.

But a cafe maybe put, that fuppofing a man has,
by indulging early bad habits, or from any odier
caufe, acquired a manner of dcEvery in private Hfe^
and in his ufual difcourfe, very difagreeable and dif-
gufting ; fuppofing he fhould have a habit of diftort-
uig his features, of ufing awkward and extravagant
geftures, and uttering ftrange and difcordant tones ;
is he not in fuch a cafe, to endeavour to get the
better of thefe, whenever he fpeaks in public, and
confequently to avoid that manner, which fronv

habit.

LECTXmE Vn. tit

habit, may be called his natural one ? My anfwer
is, that if he thinks of reforming this only in pub-
Kg, he begins at the \irrong end, and will never be
able to eflPeft what he dcfires. His bufinefs is, to
fet ^x>ut a reformatioli of all luch faults, firft, in
|»ivate life J if by his own attention to it, and the
eonftant infcMnnatiofi of his friends, he fiK>uld get
the better of them there, of courfe he will be with-
out them alfo in public. But if he {hould conti-^
Hue f egardlefe of his private manner, and be only
ftudious of corre6bing what is anufs in public, he
will find habit too powerful for him ; and the very
%^tention which he pays to that point, will prevent
kis entering with eameftnefs into his fiibjeA, and
give a conftrained air to all that he delivers. So
that though a man cannot give too much attention
in private, to the correftion of faulty habits, yet he
ihould utterly forget that he has any fuch when he
fpeaks in pubKc ; for by fuch recollcftion and at-
tention, he will lofe force, without acquiring grace ;
which is incompatible with any apparent folrcitudc
about it. Nor need a pcrfon, even though he
fliould not be able wholly to fubduc habits of that
fort, be in any pain about it ; as the frequency of
feuks, and finguferities in that vray, pleads their ex-
cufe. Defendit numerur. Veniam petimufque damuf-
que vkiffim. He is kept in countenance by num-
bers, who partaking of fimihr fadts, mutually give

and

t9T ii£.ViUK£. Vli;

and receive indulgence from each other. Singa->
laritj of manner in any fpeaker only flrikes at firft." .
After a few times, it is no longer taken notice of
by the hearers ; and if a.ftranger obferves upon it
to fuch as are his .ufual auditors, the common an-
fwer is, «*Oh, that's tis. way;*- and. this .puts att
end to all farthier remarks. Fauks> which from
conftant habit appear, natural to. a man, have an
cafe with them' which takes away their difagree-,
ablenefs, when one . is a little ufcd to them i but
faults from afitftation, or imitating the manner of
othersy are for. ever difguftlng, becaufe. they are ap^
parently artificial. To contraft bad "habits of one's
own is rather the faplt of the times, than the man*
He is unconfcious of them ; he continues in them^
through want of inftrudion, and information : few,
or none are without them ; they meet readily there-
fore with indulgence. But to imitate and :adopt
the faulty manner of others, Ja a .voluntary aft, it
i& done with the eyes open ; and. as it betrays an
crror.il? judgment, will not admit of the fame ex«-^
cufe, nor be allowed theiame indulgence,, by peo-
ple of any difcernmentr

Upon the whole, there are two kiiids of l^guage,
ncceffary to all who would wifh to anfwer the end
of public fpeaking. The one is, the language of
ideas ; by which thethoughts which pafs in a man's
muid, are manifefted to others ^ and this langus^e

is *

LECTURE Vn. i&j

is compofed chiefly of words properly ranged, and

divided into fentences* The other, is the language

of emotions j hj which the efleds that thofc

thoughts have upon the mind o£ the fpeaker, in

exciting the paflk>n$, afl^Aions, and aU manner o£

feelings, are not only made known, but communis

xated to others ; and this language is c<Hnpoled of

tones, looks, and gefture^ The oflSce of a public

fpeaker is, to infbiiAj to pleaic, and to move. If

he does not inftru^t, his difcourfe is impertinent ;

and if he does not pleafe, he will not have it in his

power to inftruA, for he will not gain attention^

and if he does not move, he will not pleafe,, for

where there is no emotion^ there can be no plea-

fure. To move therefore, fhould be the firft great

objeft of every public fpeaker ; and for this pur-

poft, he muft ufe the language c^ emotions, not

that of ideas alone, which of itfelf has no power of

moving. It i$ evident, in the ufe of the language

of emotions, that he who is properly moved, and

at the fame time delivers himfelf, ^ fuch tones, as

delight the ear wkh their harmony ; accompanied

by ftich looks and gefturea, as pleafe the eye with

their grace y whilft the underftanding alfo perceives.

their propriety ; is in the firft clafs, and muft be

accounted a maftcr. In this cafe, the united, en^

deayours of art and nature, produce that degree of

perfeftion, which is no other way to be obtained,

in

i«4 LECTURE VTt

in any thing that is the workmanfhip of maa^;
Next to him>. is the fpeaker^ who gives way to hi$
emotions without thinking of i^gulating their iigns ;
and. trufts to the force of nature^ unfolicitous about
the graces of art. And the worft is he, who ufes
tones and geftures> which he has borrowed from
others, and which, not beii^ the refult of his feel*
ings, are likely to be mifapplied, and to be void o£
propriety, force, and grace. But he who is utterly
without all language of emotions, who cen£nes him-
felf to the mere utterance of words, without any
concomitant iigns, is not to be claiTed at all among jQ:
public fpeakers. The very worft abufe of fuch
iigns, is preferable to a total want of them ; as it
has at leaft a ftronger rcfemblance to' natiurej There
is no emotion of the mind, vriiich nature does no|:
make an effort to manifefb, by fome of thoie iigns $
and therefore a total fuppreffion of thofe figns, is
of all other ftates, apparently the moifc unnatiu*aL
And this, it is to be feared, is too. much the ftatc
of the pulpit elocution in general, in th« Church of
England. On which account, there never viras
perhaps a religious {e£t upon earth, whoie hearts
were fo little engaged in the aft of public worihip
as the members of that Chunrlu. To/bepleafed,
we muft feel j and we are pleafed with fedingj.
The Preibytcrians are moved 5 the Methodifts are
mqyed y they go to their meetings, and tabernacles,

witki

LECTURE Vn. ligj

•with delight. The very Quakers are moved. Fan-
taftical, and extravagant as the language of their
emotions is, yet ^11 they are moved by it, and they
love their form of worflrip for that reafon. Whilft
cmuch the greater part of the members of the Eng-
liih Church, are either baniihed from it through
difguft, or reludantly attend the fervice as a dif«
:agreeable duty.

THE ENI%

FOR SALE, at the TROT BOOKSTORE,

A INSWORTH's Latin Dxc-lDuncan's Logic

XX tionary
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Do. abridged
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proved by Webber
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derftanding -
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Do. abridged
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McCartney's Cicero
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and valuable Arithmetic)
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Salmon's Didlionary
Penning on the Globe
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JUN 1 - 1956

JUN 1 - 1956

JUN 1 - 1956